Walking Through Fire
by ajb620
Summary: A Harry Potter universe fanfiction. Sequel to Out of the Shadows. Maya Ladon has returned to England to join the Order of the Phoenix. War has erupted throughout the wizarding world and Maya has found herself in the thick of battle and in of love with the Order's most secretive spy. Will Maya and Severus find a way to defeat Voldemort and their pasts in order to create a future?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: On the Eve of Distruction

* Eve of Destruction, (1965). P.F. Sloan, Barry McGuire.

A week after the battle in London, Maya sat impatiently in Snape's dungeon office grateful for the cool dampness in the heat of the summer night. Severus had been summoned just after dinner; the pain and anger she saw in his eyes still lingered in her memory. Though his expression betrayed nothing of his emotion, she had become quite skilled at reading his eyes. At first, those onyx eyes appeared to be blank and cold, but now they were now quite literally the windows to his soul. Tonight was the first time Severus had been called to the Dark Lord since Malfoy's failure at the Ministry, and although Maya knew Snape was fully capable of playing his role, a small part of her was afraid for him.

She pulled at the tee shirt she wore. Even the dungeons were starting to warm in the late June heat. The rain and mist from the mountains and lake made the air humid and the jersey material felt clingy against her skin. She glanced at the mantel clock above the fireplace. He had been gone at least five hours now. "Bloody hell," she muttered impatiently and blew a curl from her damp forehead.

Maya heard movement in the passageway beyond, signaling his return. She moved from her seat behind his desk as he entered from the grounds. Severus stood there; tall frame held in perfect posture, his face lined with weariness, appearing uninjured. Relief swept through her, but when he raised his arm to remove his cloak, she saw the grimace cross his face. She noticed for the first time that he was stiff and rigid. She didn't give him a chance to refuse her help. She moved next to him, placing an arm around his waist. He winced at her touch.

"I can make it on my own," he hissed through clenched teeth, but he was in too much pain for his words to have much bite. He grudgingly allowed her to assist him. It bruised his pride to allow her to see him in such a weakened state.

"Hush, let me at least get you to your bed," she replied softly. She didn't fuss; neither her temperament nor his pride would allow that. She simply slipped her arm around him in support. A few moments later, she had helped him ease onto the large four-poster bed that they had shared since the battle at the Ministry forced the Order to evacuate Grimmauld Place. It was an awkward adjustment for both of them. Tonks was still in St. Mungo's and Maya's family home would be too dangerous. Maya had considered taking a room in Hogsmeade but neither Dumbledore nor Severus seemed eager to have her leave Hogwarts.

Maya did not want to offer too much help, but when she saw that the pain did not allow him to reach for his boots, she crouched to remove them. Then she helped him out of the frock coat. She removed the silver cufflinks she had given him for Christmas, and unbuttoned his crisp white shirt. Maya examined the marks and bruises left by the Dark Lord's curses with a critical eye. "Was it just the Cruciatus Curse?"

He gave her a short nod. "The Dark Lord is very displeased with the failure at the Ministry. He had hoped to go unseen for a little while longer, not to mention losing the prophecy. He decided to use the Cruciatus Curse tonight as a way of discouraging others from failing in the future. Pain can be a strong motivator." He said closed his eyes as he leaned back against a pillow.

"If there's anything Dumbledore needs to know tonight, I think he should come to you. You're in no shape to be heading up to his office." Maya moved to the small cupboard where she knew his healing potions were kept. She reached for the cool blue liquid that she and Severus had made from aconite, belladonna, and magnesium phosphate. It was the Dark Lord's love of the Cruciatus Curse that made this particular potion a good addition to the Order's stores; it acted specifically to dull nerve pain and regenerate damaged nerves.

"No, it's nothing that can't wait till morning," he said, eyes remaining closed.

She called Dougal. The ancient yet dutiful elf brought soup and tea for the potion master. After watching to make sure that he had finished the soup and most of the tea, Maya handed him first the blue potion and then a sleeping draft.

"The Dark Lord has made me one of the Counsel of Ten. I am now a member of his inner circle."

Maya swallowed, not knowing what to say. With Voldemort out in the open now, they were all in danger every day, but for Severus the stakes had just become impossibly high. "The Counsel of Ten. I guess he is very angry with Bellatrix and Malfoy," she said quietly.

"Indeed. It seems that Dumbledore has finally gotten his wish."

Maya frowned. Sometimes what Dumbledore asked of Severus seemed almost cruel, but Severus never complained or refused the Headmaster, so she kept her thoughts to herself. Instead, she waved her wand, summoning a jar from the next room. Seconds later, she deftly caught the jar of healing ointment Severus had given her last spring. She took a small amount in her hands and began to massage it into some of the more angry-looking bruises as gently as possible.

"Leave it," he hissed. "I don't need a healer."

"Lay back down and stop being so difficult," she said, finding an unbruised spot on his shoulder and pushing him gently but firmly back down into the pillows. "If he calls again, you'll want to be able to stand up, won't you?" His only response was to close his eyes.

As Maya finished her ministrations, she watched him drift into sleep. Once he was asleep, she watched the rise and fall of his chest, his breathing easier now thanks to the pain potions taking effect. Once she was satisfied that he was sleeping soundly, Maya moved to what she had begun to think of as her side of the bed. Within minutes she was asleep.

"Lily…No!" The mumbled cry cut through the quiet of the dungeons, startling Maya awake. As she got her bearings, she turned to the man next to her. Since their first night together, she noticed he was occasionally plagued by nightmares. He was in the grasp of one of his nightmares and she heard the name 'Lily' spoken again very clearly. She did not try to wake him but instead got up and found a calming draft.

Maya cradled his face in her hands, and at once he calmed. She could not help but think that perhaps it was not her hands he was imagining in this dream. She had no disillusions about their 'relationship.' They had promised each other nothing, and although he knew much of her past, he had spoken very little of his own. She placed the potion to his lips and watched as he took two long drinks. At once his dreams seem to abate returning him to a sound sleep.

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The brilliant glow of a patronus drifted through the dim dungeon in the early hours of the morning. Maya stirred her from sleep. She was able to make out the figure of a magnificent phoenix before the patronus shimmered out of existence. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the dimness of the dungeon. Severus was awake and lighting a candle.

"Hurry, I may need your assistance," he said quickly. Maya grabbed a silk robe from the bedside chair and followed Severus to the fireplace.

"Headmaster's office," he said before stepping into the green flames.

Maya followed, stepping out onto Dumbledore's worn hearthrug. Her eyes took in the sight of Dumbledore sitting on the floor, back propped against his ornate desk. An antique ring with a cracked black stone lay on the floor by his hand, which was blackened and burned. Severus had already begun assessing the damage to Dumbledore's hand.

"Bring me the essence of Murlap and Dragon's Blood elixir. We have to stop the curse from taking more of his arm," Severus ordered. Maya went back through the fire, rummaging through the potion cupboard as fast as she could for the two items and anything else she saw that could be useful. She sprinted back through the fire and knelt at Dumbledore's other side, taking the old man's hand in hers, passing Severus the items he needed with the other.

"Good thinking, the phoenix tears and Morgana's Revenge will be helpful," he said without looking at her, all of his concentration focused on his work.

Dumbledore was weak. His sparkling eyes were dim with exhaustion and pain. However, even in his weakened state he raised an eyebrow at Snape's rare use of a compliment.

"It seems the two of you have proved to be a strong partnership after all," the old man said, a touch of humor returning to his tired voice. Maya was wearing Snape's green silk robe. He smiled at her, squeezing her hand.

Maya smiled back, shaking her head at him. "Now is not the time Albus," she said to him quietly, giving his good hand a squeeze.

Severus' only response was to snort dismissively at the old man's comment.

"There, I think I've slowed its spreading, but I don't know of anything that can stop it altogether or reverse the damage that's already been done, Albus. From here Poppy must take over," Snape said, raising himself to his feet.

"Dear boy, I believe I owe you my life this time," Dumbledore replied. Maya raised herself to her feet and helped Severus pull the older wizard up from the floor.

"Don't thank me yet, you're not out of the woods, old man," Severus said as he and Maya helped Dumbledore to his bedchamber. Maya left the two men alone and went to fetch Madame Pomfrey.

It took the better part of a week for Dumbledore to regain his strength enough to be up and about the castle again. As the following weeks came and went, his health, fueled no doubt by his unsinkable spirit, bounced back with gusto. His arm however, did not. It remained as black and withered as a piece of wood pulled from a hot fire; all attempts by Severus and Poppy to completely stop the slow progression of the poison had failed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: I See a Bad Moon Rising*

* Bad Moon Rising, (1969). John Fogerty, Creedence Clearwater Revival.

The summer heat rippled in waves across the Hogwarts grounds. Tonks arrived at the edge of the Great Lake. Remus had suggested they meet there before her appointment with the Headmaster. The secluded spot offered privacy behind a large boulder that made it a favorite among the students. She smiled. 'He must be thinking of having a quiet moment together before I go up to the castle.'

Tonks had been thrilled when she was selected to head up the Auror team assigned to protect the village and school. Remus had beamed with pride when she told him the news and they had celebrated with a wonderful night together at the Three Broomsticks and breakfast in bed.

She had regained consciousness two days after the battle, head sore and angry as hell that her vile aunt had bested her in battle. She was released from the hospital a week later and had been allowed to return to work by the Medi-witches at St. Mungo's, but much of her time had been spent catching up on the mountains of paperwork that had mounted up while she was out. There had been a lot of explaining to do to her supervisors about her injuries as well. With the help of Kingsley and Dumbledore, she was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing, and no mention of the events were documented in her employee record.

A rustle in the tall summer grass behind her made her turn. Her smile widened. Remus Lupin was walking towards her from the direction of the castle. "Hullo you." She slid her arms around him, finding immediate contentment in his arms. "How was your meeting with Dumbledore?"

"Hello, Nym." He returned her embrace, holding her closely to him as if wanting to etch the feel of her against him into his memory forever.

"Oi! What's this?" She kissed him briefly, her smile faltering, suddenly unsure of herself. "This is supposed to be a hello kiss, not a goodbye." Tonks tried to read his amber eyes but he wouldn't meet her gaze.

"I've been given a new assignment, Nym. It seems there have been several werewolf attacks already this summer. The most likely culprit is Fenir Greyback. Funny enough, he is the werewolf who infected me as a child," Remus said sourly. "Dumbledore thinks he has traced the location of the pack. The werewolves were a big problem for the Order and the Ministry during the last war. Many of them found it easy to be swayed by Voldemort's promise of power after years of oppression and discrimination by wizards. I may be able to convince some of them to join our side, and if nothing else, I may be able to limit some of the attacks on civilians.

"He's sending you to Greyback?" Tonks' hair changed to a vivid red.

"Now Tonks," he pleaded, taking in her quickening heart and breathing. The petite Auror was winding up for a row. "Dumbledore is right. I'm the perfect person for this mission, and if there is a chance we can bring any of them to our side, I have to try."

"Yes, Hagrid was keen to try convincing the giants last summer, and he was lucky to come back in one piece!"

"Think of the lives that could be saved."

"You're right Remus," she sighed, seeing the truth in his words. "I know you need to do what's right. No one should have to go through what you do every month. This war can't last forever, can it?" She brought her arms back around him, reaching up on her toes. He met her halfway, capturing her lips with his. The butterflies in her belly sprang to life and warmth flowed to her fingers and toes. But something was wrong. There was sadness in his kiss, as if it would be their last. Tonks pulled back just enough to finally meet his eyes. "Remus? What is it? There's more - I can tell. It's written all over your face."

"Nymphadora, this assignment, being with my own kind-."

"Your own kind? What are you on about? You're a wizard Remus, a powerful one. We are your own kind!"

"Please, let me finish."

"Remus, I've seen reports on Greyback's work. He's a monster! He's nothing like you. He attacks even when the moon isn't full!"

"Tonks, do try to see reason! I won't have access to wolfsbane. It has reminded me of how dangerous my condition really is. If it wasn't for Dumbledore and Maya persuading Severus to make the potion for me, I would never be able to afford it on my own with no work."

"Money is not an issue. I've told you before."

"No! Tonks, no matter what inroads Dumbledore is able to make, werewolves will always be seen as dangerous beasts and rightly so, because that is exactly what we are. Being with me will only ruin any chance you have of a successful career in the Ministry, not to mention your reputation."

"My reputation?" Now there was genuine anger in her voice, and the Auror's eyes turned a steely grey.

"Tonks, I'm a werewolf and far too old-,"

"Too old for what exactly? I don't seem to remember you having difficulty keeping up last night?" Remus blushed at her reference to their intimate evening. "It's twelve years Remus. It's not like you're old enough to be my father!"

"Just the same, Tonks, I think it would be wise, better for both of us, if we just made a clean break of it."

Tonks couldn't believe what she was hearing! "You're throwing me over? You can't mean that. I can see it in your eyes, Remus. It's killing you!"

"It's not a matter of what I want. It's a matter of what's right," he sighed.

"Remus, you love me. No one could have said those words the way you did and not meant them. And you know I love you! Since the day I ran into you in Diagon Alley. People that love each other the way we do, it doesn't get more right than that!"

"It's too dangerous and it's not fair to you, Tonks. While I'm gone you should take some time and consider other options that are likely to make you far happier than I ever could."

Tonks felt her heart break into a million pieces at the look of sorrow and devastation on his face. "Are you telling me I should see other people?"

"It would be for the best."

"Remus Lupin, I haven't been on a date with another bloke since our first Order meeting. I'm not about to start now. You are the only one for me."

Remus squeezed his eyes shut attempting to block out the anguish in her voice and the pain in his own heart. "I'm so sorry, Nym."

Before Tonks knew what was happening, Remus was standing in front of her, the sun at his back. He cupped her face with both of his strong hands, running his thumbs over her cheeks as if trying to memorize the feel of her skin. The pain in her heart that she saw mirrored in his eyes constricted her chest, and she couldn't breathe. He brought his lips to hers, kissing her softly. Tears sprang from beneath her closed eyelids and trailed down her cheeks. She tried to deepen the kiss, her last attempt to keep him with her. He relented but the heartache that was in the kiss made her soul ache. And then he was gone, leaving cold emptiness where the warmth of his touch had been.

Tonks opened her eyes in time to see him step away from her.

"Goodbye, Nymphadora. Please be safe. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you." He turned and walked in the direction of the main gates.

"Remus!" she called after him, unable to will her legs to move.

He could hear the tears in her voice, could still taste them where his lips had touched hers. He did not turn around. He couldn't. If she saw the tears in his eyes it would only make him stay. And no matter how much it hurt him to do it, he had to leave. It was for her own good.

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In the first weeks of the summer holiday, Severus was called to the Dark Lord several times. Although he never returned with evidence of the punishment he received in that first summons of the summer, he looked tired and spoke little to anyone but Dumbledore. Maya didn't need Severus to tell her of Voldemort's movements, however. During the first week of July, the temperature continued to climb, as did the signs of Voldemort's return. It started with disappearances. Then Amelia Bones was found dead. The Dark Lord was striking at the Ministry by first attacking the Chief Judge of the Wizengamot. The next strike came directly to the Order of The Phoenix when Emmeline Vance's mutilated body was found on Downing Street, where she had been guarding the muggle Prime Minister at the time. The hurricane in the South Country was said to be the work of giants and witnesses had seen Death Eaters running from the sight of the Brockdale Bridge collapse in London.

The front page of today's Daily Prophet proclaimed that Harry Potter was The Chosen One, destined to rid the wizarding world of He Who Must Not Be Named, and announced that Cornelius Fudge had been sacked and replaced by Tonks' department head Rufus Scrimgeour. According to Severus, the new Head of Magical Law Enforcement, Pius Thicknesse, was under the Imperious Curse. The first weeks of July had set the wizarding world into chaos.

Maya knew that Severus was forced to take part in at least some of these attacks to maintain his place in Voldemort's inner circle. He did not confide in her though and she didn't push. He had been tense and distant since that first summons of the summer. The Dark Lord had placed him in charge of Peter Pettigrew. The former marauder had betrayed James and Lily Potter's location to the Dark Lord and framed Sirius for the crime.

Not completely trusting the worm, the Dark Lord chose to place him under the watchful eye of Snape to keep him out of trouble. Maya knew very little about Severus' home at Spinner's End, other than it had been the shabby place where his father had taken them when he had been too ashamed of his magical wife and son to remain in his family's village. She knew Severus hated it there and the more time he spent there with Pettigrew the darker his moods became. Severus had spent the last week in Yorkshire, as Pettigrew seemed to require constant supervision.

Maya returned to Severus' chambers late one night to find him sitting in his favorite armchair, staring into the fire, brandy in hand but untouched. "Dumbledore said you weren't at dinner. I thought you were still away."

He was silent a long time, but the muscles at his jaw tightened. "I was not in the mood for company when I returned."

Maya waited to see if he would continue, there was no point prodding when he was like this. Instead, she called for Dougal to bring tea and sandwiches. Severus didn't speak again until she was halfway through a cold chicken sandwich.

"My absence at the Department of Mysteries did not go unnoticed. The Dark Lord saw the value in my remaining at Hogwarts and the mission was given to Malfoy, but Bellatrix snatches at any shred of ammunition she can and there are plenty who are eager to follow her lead."

"Are you worried?" she asked flatly.

"No, but I must not underestimate her. Her jealousy has only grown since I took her place on the Counsel of Ten. She now openly questions my every move in an attempt to win back favor with the Dark Lord."

"She's been doing a fine job of discrediting herself lately."

"Perhaps, but it's just one more thread in an already impossibly complex web of intrigue and deceit." He paused for a moment and then picked up his tea from the tray. "There are rumors that Draco Malfoy will be taking the Mark soon."

"But he's so young?"

"Only a year younger than I was," he said darkly. "What he lacks in age and wisdom he makes up for in enthusiasm. "

"Youth and foolishness do frequently go hand in hand."

Severus was silent for a long while, lost in his thoughts while he finished his tea. Maya stood and stretched. "I'm turning in." She brushed his hair back from his face with gentle fingers. He let out a deep breath at her touch and took her hand in his, placing a kiss at the inside of her wrist.

"I will be returning to Spinner's End at the week's end. It looks as if I will be spending most of the summer there." Maya nod and gave his hand a squeeze before leaving him to his thoughts and heading off to bed.

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In his absence, Maya split her time between becoming more acquainted with the gamekeeper Hagrid and patrolling the grounds and village. She was lost in thought, sitting under a magnificent Beech tree, watching the Giant Squid snatch at swallows as they skimmed the lake when she felt a peck at her elbow. She had come to the lake to dip her feet in the cool water and to distract herself from the oppressive July heat.

"Hello, you. What have you got?" she said to the small brown owl as she took the neatly folded parchment from his beak. He promptly took off in the direction of the owlery. It took her only a moment to recognize Dumbledore's elegant script. She stood and dusted herself off towards the castle. She made her way quickly through now empty castle and in no time found herself in front of Dumbledore's office door.

She gave a soft knock to the large door and then pulled it open. "Headmaster, you wanted to see me?" she said.

"Yes, yes Ms. Ladon come right in, Ms. Tonks is already here," she heard him call from his place at his desk.

"Wotcher, My," Tonks said. Her usually bubbly voice was thin. The two friends had not had much time to really catch up since Tonks was released from St. Mungo's, because Tonks had spent the little free time she had with Remus Lupin.

"Hi Tonks, I thought you were on guard duty all day in Hogsmeade setting up the perimeter?" Maya asked. Tonks hair looked unusually dingy instead of her bright pink.

"Looks like our assignment is going to be expanded a bit," she said, looking from Maya to Dumbledore. Maya was convinced more than ever that something was wrong with Tonks, but it would have to wait until they were alone.

"Indeed, Ms. Tonks is correct. I've asked the minister to provide extra security to the school this year. The Aurors will make regular rounds of the grounds, castle, and Hogsmeade station in addition to the extra security that the minister has requested in Hogsmeade itself," Dumbledore explained. "I would like you to join the Aurors in the security of the castle, grounds and for Hogsmeade weekends. I have explained to the new minister that I have hand picked certain staff to provide security to the school. I would like you to organize that team, Maya, as Hogwarts Head of Security. Primarily this entails arranging patrol schedules with the professors and coordinating with the Ministry security detail. As Ms. Tonks here is to head the Ministry's security detail I'm sure there will be no difficulties with cooperation, though I suggest you continue to conceal your identity."

"But what about Remus? Tonks always pairs up with him. And he certainly knows more about the castle than I do." Maya asked more out of confusion then in refusal of his request.

"He's sending him to the werewolves," Tonks said hollowly, not taking her eyes from the window behind Dumbledore.

"What?"

"Professor Lupin will be on a special mission. Greyback was a great supporter of Voldemort last time and we need to sway as many of the werewolves away from his influence as possible. Remus is able and willing to fill this unique post. Will you agree to join the additional security detail at Hogwarts, Ms. Ladon?" Dumbledore asked.

"Of course." She watched Tonks for a reaction. No wonder she looked like something was wrong. 'This must be killing her,' Maya thought. "I can start whenever you like."

"Excellent. Since you're mostly settled here, I'd like you to begin immediately so that we may start to make the preparations for the new term." Before he had finished speaking, Tonks was up and out the door. There had been tears in the witch's eyes as she was leaving.

"I'll talk to her," Maya said, moving for the door herself.

"One last thing, Ms. Ladon."

"Yes?"

"Severus has sent news."

"You've heard from him?"

Dumbledore nodded. "It seems the Death Eater Grady learned from his American informant that the Dragon was seen in Boston last year, and may be a woman."

"Putnam," Maya muttered. "The fact that he hasn't named me means he's not confident. He'll have a hard time believing that I could be responsible." She paused. "Severus? Is there any indication that he was recognized?" She felt stupid for asking, but given the circumstances she couldn't help herself.

"Times are precarious. He has given me no indication that his situation has been compromised." Dumbledore gave her a sad smile, obviously reading her apprehension and self-recrimination. "I understand that Voldemort keeps him very busy these days," was the only explanation he offered. "This does mean that your position however is more complicated. I feel that it's even more important that you must not be seen. I'm afraid you will be spending much of your time keeping your identity hidden."

"I understand." Maya gave Dumbledore a quick nod that was all too similar to Severus' and slipped behind the office door as she made her way down the stairs to find Tonks.

It didn't take Maya long to find her young friend. She was sitting by the lake, hidden from view by a large boulder. Maya had considered the spot for her own thinking earlier, but the beech tree looked so much more inviting.

Maya approached quietly so as not to startle the Auror. Tonks looked up but didn't speak. Maya sat next to her and removed her shoes and socks, putting her feet in the cool water.

"Come on. Off with the shoes. I have a feeling this session of girl talk is going to take a while and it's hotter than the fire under Morgana's cauldron out here," Maya said, easing her feet into the icy lake.

Tonks said nothing at first but complied with her request by taking off her own heavy boots and socks, wiggling her small feet in the lake. Suddenly she spoke, "He met me here before I went up to see Dumbledore. We had dinner at the Three Broomsticks last night and it was lovely, almost like before Sirius." She hesitated. "Anyway, at least he told me to my face, you know? Stupid mission! Stupid man! He's not like Greyback and the others, but he started on about how this mission got him thinking and about how it really is too dangerous for me to be around someone like him anyway and even without the lycanthropy he was too poor and too old to make me happy. Maya when have I ever cared about those things? I love the things we do without money, the way he makes me feel like I'm clever and funny and pretty, not a clumsy oaf Hufflepuff. I already have a flat and food and stuff, I don't need him to support me. He's still in his thirties for Merlin's sake. The way he talks you'd think he was Dumbledore's age. It's only twelve years, you know," she finished, having run out of steam, throwing a sizable pebble into the lake for emphasis, making a resounding plop that echoed how she felt.

It was several minutes before the Auror spoke again. Maya watched a thestral chase a raven from the tree tops, which only made her think of Severus. "Maya, he said he thought we…that I should start seeing other people so that if someone more suitable came along I would be free to explore all of my options. I told him I loved him. He just looked at me like it was breaking his heart." Tonks put her head on Maya's shoulder while her feet splashed in the cool water. Maya could hear her sniffle and put an arm around her friend.

'And men say that women are fickle?' Maya thought darkly, completely perplexed by the opposite sex. "You know how men can be with their pride," she said, giving Tonks a squeeze. "Especially the noble ones."

"Yes, well I don't see Severus running off anytime soon," Tonks said bitterly.

"We're not exactly perfect, Tonks. We've never called what's going on between us a relationship. I haven't seen him in almost two weeks. He's been off on an assignment with no word. He hasn't pushed me away exactly but I think there was someone else, someone before that he's not really over. I've heard him talk in his sleep. He sometimes says a woman's name, 'Lily.' She must have been very important to him but he's never mentioned her," Maya confided, feeling a little better just for having voiced her fears out loud.

"Merlin," Tonks whispered, "but no, it couldn't be-"

"Tonks, who? Do you know who she is?"

"No, it can't be. There are loads of women named, Lily right?"

"Tonks, you're killing me here. If you know something you have to tell me!"

"Harry's mum, she was Lily Potter, Lily Evans before she married James Potter."

"Yes, but-."

"Remus and Sirius told me last year that Lily and Snape grew up together in the same muggle neighborhood. They knew each other before they got to Hogwarts. They were really close friends until they had some big row. Sirius and James suspected that Snape fancied her but the two never made up and then she started dating James," Tonks said, hoping she was wrong.

"Well, it certainly explains a few things. Lily 'sodding' Potter," Maya said with a sigh. "The bloody woman's practically a saint. How am I supposed to stand up to that?"

"Dunno," said Tonks, "but I'm not great for relationship advice right now, am I?"

"Sorry, Tonks," Maya said guiltily. "We'll get through this, I promise. Besides, Remus will come 'round. Everyone knows that he's crazy about you. He won't make it a week before he's at your door taking it all back." Maya gazed across the lake, hoping that the noble professor would not make a liar out of her. In the back of her mind, thoughts about her own tenuous romance hung like ominous storm clouds on the horizon of her own new relationship.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Let Her Go***

 ** *** Let Her Go, (2012). Mike Rosenberg (Passenger).****

Maya wandered the abandoned halls of the castle, determined to learn her way around before the students arrived. As she neared the dungeons her thoughts drifted to Severus. It wasn't like him to be gone so long without word, and Bellatrix was undermining him at every turn. Maya had tried contacting him with her dragon pendant but received no answer. It was possible that he just wasn't wearing the magically linked cufflinks that day, but there was also a chance that his cover had been blown. She didn't want to think about the consequences for him if that happened. Her mind was made up. She was his partner after all; it was her responsibility to make sure he was alive.

By late afternoon Maya had discovered the location of Spinner's End, by all accounts a dingy street in a rundown town outside of Halifax. With a familiar wand motion, her hair faded to dingy blond waves that skimmed her jawline and her eyes to a pale watery blue green. She clasped the invisibility cloak Severus had given her last Christmas around her shoulders, steeling her courage as she walked out onto the grounds.

When she opened her eyes, she was on one of the most depressing streets she had ever seen. Tobias Snape had truly wanted to hide his wife and son. The cobblestone street was slippery and wet under Maya's feet and she could smell an unpleasant stench coming from the river a few streets away. The towering smokestack of the abandoned textile mill dominated the skyline. Maya scanned the street on the lookout for dementors, hoping that their presence would explain the grim mood on the street.

Most of the houses were boarded up, all but the last house on the row, which had thick black curtains hanging at the window. Maya could feel the strong magical wards emanating from the house. This was unquestionably her target. As she made her way to the house, two voices came from the direction of the river. Maya slipped into an alleyway just in time to see two hooded figures pass by, one of them constantly looking over their shoulder and back up the long street as if expecting to be followed.

Maya caught a hint of a woman's voice in a haughty French accent. 'Bellatrix,' she thought and wondered what would bring Bellatrix to Snape's door. The Death Eater argued with her companion as they walked up to the worn front door. After a few moments, Maya unclasped her cloak and drew the shimmering velvety material of the invisibility cloak over her head, hiding her from all but the keenest magical eyes. She moved quietly to a better vantage point behind an old abandoned car.

The curtains parted for a brief moment then snapped closed again and the front door opened just a crack. The figure closest to the door threw back her hood to reveal a long mane of platinum hair. 'Narcissa Malfoy. What could possibly be so important that it would bring you to a place like this?' Maya thought. She wished she could hear the exchange of words between Snape and the sisters, the two women quickly slipped inside and the door shut again.

Maya crept up to the run down house, standing on tiptoes to peer into the dirty window. Always on his guard, Severus had warded the house against eavesdroppers. She could hear nothing of the conversation going on inside. Through a small gap in the dingy, curtains she could see Severus say something to Pettigrew and the rat-like man, face pouting, stomped off towards a hidden staircase behind a tall bookcase. No one spoke until the bookcase swung back into place sealing the passageway beyond. Maya breathed a sigh of relief; physically Severus looked unharmed.

Bellatrix began ranting almost as soon as the bookcase closed. Severus, back rigid and face blank looked on calmly as she raved, arms waving wildly as she spoke. Maya guessed the Death Eater was trying to catch him in some lie she could take back to her master. Bellatrix fired off questions at him with lightning speed. Severus answered each attack looking unruffled and bored, which only seemed to anger Bellatrix more.

The conversation shifted to Narcissa and Maya had to duck down when Severus crossed the room to look out the window. She held her breath as she crouched on the ground, hoping she had gone unnoticed. After counting to twenty, she raised herself up, risking a peek through the curtains again. Severus had pulled the curtains closer together before returning to the other side of the room and Maya had to strain to see through the incredibly small gap in the curtains. Narcissa suddenly burst into tears, grabbing at Severus' coat, a pleading look of desperation on her crumpled face. 'My how the mighty have fallen,' Maya thought bitterly.

Maya tried to read lips, but it was no use, she couldn't make out any details of what was being said. She swore in frustration at the dirty window and her obstructed view of Narcissa and Severus. Giving up surveillance as a lost cause, Maya moved back to the cover of the abandoned car to wait until the sisters emerged.

Inside the shabby little house, Severus had lost patience with the conversation, until Narcissa's emotional outburst. The trick to playing his part was to provide reasonable facts while at the same time planting enough self-doubt in her mind to ensure she was too terrified to ever speak of it to the Dark Lord. Thankfully, since the dismal episode at the Ministry, the Dark Lord trusted no one.

"He's my son, Severus. My only son!" Narcissa pleaded.

"You should keep your mouth shut, Cissy. The Dark Lord forbid us to speak of it," Bella admonished. "It is a great honor. Draco was chosen. We should be proud of him."

'Tasking Draco to kill Dumbledore? It's preposterous,' Severus thought. No one could think that the Dark Lord had any expectation of the boy succeeding. 'So when Draco fails, the Dark Lord will take pleasure in killing the boy just to punish Lucius.'

Severus had been there the night Draco had taken the mark; a full year and a half younger then when Severus himself had taken his own mark. Draco may be arrogant and foolish but he was still his student and Severus had known the boy his entire life. He feared the Draco was in well over his head. As Snape processed this immense piece of information he almost missed Narcissa's next statement.

"Will you protect him, Severus? Will you make the Unbreakable Vow?" she sobbed.

"The Unbreakable Vow?" His voice was even as he quickly calculated the tremendous risk in taking The Vow with this woman; to break the magical vow meant instant death. However, this single task would go a long way in squelching the rumors Bellatrix and her associates were spreading about. For a brief moment a rogue thought of Maya flashed through his mind. He pushed it away at once, thankful neither witch was much of a Legilimens.

Bellatrix cackled triumphantly. "Oh, he'll try, I'm sure… his usual empty words, slithering out of any real action… Oh, on the Dark Lord's orders, of course!" she spat.

Snape ignored her, keeping his steely eyes focused on Narcissa. The path was clear, he had no other option. "Certainly, Narcissa, I shall make the Unbreakable Vow," he said quietly. "Perhaps your sister will consent to be our Bonder."

Severus and Narcissa took the traditional position, kneeling, hands clasped. He looked directly into her red-rimmed eyes; she must not see doubt in his eyes. "You will need your wand, Bellatrix."

Bellatrix took out her wand and stood above them, a mixture of anger and astonishment on her twisted face. "When you are ready, Narcissa."

Narcissa took a deep breath. "Will you, Severus, watch over my son, Draco as he attempts to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes?"

Snape gazed into Narcissa's eyes unblinkingly as the golden magical cords from Bellatrix's wand bound their hands. "I will."

"And will you, to the best of your ability, protect him from harm?"

"I will." He should have known it was too easy.

"And, should it prove necessary…if it seems Draco will fail…will you carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?" she finished.

Severus' heart hammered in his chest. He hoped in her emotional state, Narcissa didn't notice that his hands had broken out in a cold sweat. His hand switched slightly, he couldn't suppress it as the full implications of her request became clear. 'How could I possibly?' he thought. Narcissa's little plan was genius. He should have seen the checkmate coming. To refuse now would all but prove their suspicions. Albus had been clear, Severus' placement in Voldemort's inner circle was vital in protecting Lily's son, even more so then his post at Hogwarts. He hesitated for only a second. "I will." The final shimmering cord bound their hands and sealed the vow.

It was done. He wanted both Black sisters far away from him. He had to think. The vow changed everything. Severus' frustration and patience were almost pushed beyond breaking when Bellatrix lingered at the door after Narcissa had walked out into the dark night.

"Ah, Severus, that's a new scent for you, no? I can smell her on you like rotting meat. Is she a pretty little rabbit?" the insane witch hissed only for him to hear.

'Oh how many things I regret from my youth,' he thought with disgust. He was careful to keep the blank mask on his face, to maintain the cool indifference. If Bellatrix or - Merlin forbid - the Dark Lord himself should find out about Maya. No, it was imperative that Bellatrix believe any liaisons he had were meaningless.

"Perhaps, my dear Bella, but one is so easily replaced with another. I do tire of repetition."

Bellatrix let a great huff of air escape her in annoyance. "I don't remember you complaining of boredom. In fact, you were always up for a challenge in those days, though not as inventive as I'd hoped." Her maniacal dark brown eyes gleamed like a rabid dog's as she reached one long taloned hand toward his face, running the nail of her index finger along the bridge of his nose. It took all of his willpower to suppress the shudder of nausea that bubbled up inside him. He focused all of his energy on maintaining eye contact with her.

"Is she at least pureblood? Maybe it's been too long since you've had a worthy distraction."

"They provide all the distraction I need. They do what they're told without argument or question, know enough to keep their mouths shut, and disappear quietly when they've served their purpose. For a few galleons it's worth the price to be free of complications." He sneered. "I'm not a man that needs or desires attachments." He removed her hand from where it had come to rest on his arm and gently pushed her through the door, shutting it before she could respond.

Once the door was closed, he returned to his arm chair and poured a full glass of Elf wine, swallowing it in one go, until he felt sanitized from the horrid feel of her cold clammy touch. He sighed heavily. 'No amount of power from the Dark Lord could have been worth that,' he thought as he threw himself into the chair. He leaned his head back against the chair, eyes closed, long limp hair falling back from his pale face.

As he sat there, the sudden contrast between Bella's touch and Maya's came to his mind. No, there was no comparison. It was the difference between night and day. Again he found himself wishing he were back in his chambers at Hogwarts where he could feel her warmth next to him.

A knock on the door came not two minutes after the Black sisters left his porch. So Bella wanted to challenge him some more, did she! He gripped his wand tightly, gulped down a second glass of wine and slammed the delicate glass on the table. He stormed to the door and flung it open - but it wasn't Bellatrix or Narcissa. A woman with a sharp face and prominent cheekbones framed by shoulder length dingy blonde hair looked back at him with blue green eyes that looked almost like sea water in the candle light.

"Yes?" he ordered icily. Then he saw the woman smirk and he knew it was her. "What are you doing here?" he asked, voice lowered but with just as much irritation. He could feel his emotions from Bella and Narcissa's visit still churning inside him like storm clouds. He needed to think and she would only distract him. He needed to think of a way around the vow.

"Glad to see you too Professor." She assumed his lowered voice meant that he was not alone. Pettigrew was somewhere in the house.

"Leave now," he said coldly. He was disturbed by Bella's perceptiveness; she could smell Maya's scent, for Merlin's sake! If Bellatrix could sense her after more than two weeks apart, surely the Dark Lord could as well. If he hadn't detected it already, Bella would surely tell him. Snape would have to put some distance between himself and Maya if she was going to stay out of the Dark Lord's awareness. He would not be responsible for another woman's death if he could help it.

"I just wanted to -." At that moment the hidden door to the stairway opened. Pettigrew's squeak told her he got an eyeful of dirty blond hair from behind Severus's back.

Thinking quickly, Severus grabbed Maya roughly by the upper arm. Pettigrew was useless but not all together stupid. Severus' explanation for her arrival would have to be convincing. He would know she wasn't a muggle. The muggle repelling charms would have kept them all away. Pettigrew's smug expression gave Severus the perfect solution.

Maya looked between Snape and the rat-like man. The moment Snape grabbed her arm she thought she knew what he had in mind. Before he pulled her off the porch she muttered a non-verbal spell transfiguring jeans into the snug black leather slacks and taking her blouse down two sizes and three buttons.

Severus pulled her through the doorway. "Oi love! Don't forget I get me money upfront, just like last time," she said loud enough for Pettigrew to hear her. She saw the look of surprise on the man's pointy face.

"I'll be upstairs, Wormtail. Do I need to remind you not to disturb me?" Severus said lazily as he dragged Maya through the dusty sitting room lined with bookcases.

As she passed Pettigrew, his eyes gawked at the cleavage her open collar displayed. "No of course not Snape, but maybe when you're finished you could introduce me to your _friend_."

"Sorry mate," Maya shrugged. "Even I have standards." Maya knew the slap was coming and tried to rock back with it. Pettigrew didn't look as if he could pack much of a punch and she was right. She doubted it would sting for more than a few seconds. At least he hadn't been quick witted enough to use the metal hand that gleamed in the dim candlelight.

"Teach her some proper respect, Snape," Pettigrew whined as Severus pushed her through the hidden entrance and up the stairway beyond.

"Find your own entertainment, Wormtail." Snape closed the hidden entrance to the stairway. "And do not leave the house," he added before the bookcase shut in the man's face.

Maya let Snape push her up the steps and in the direction of a small and plainly decorated bedroom. A small wardrobe sat at one end of the room. A single bed and bedside table with a candle and book on its surface sat at the other end of the room. Once the door was slammed shut and locked, a muffliato charm ensured their Pettigrew wouldn't be eavesdropping. She moved to kiss him but flinched back at the sight of the murderous look on his face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Snape hissed, scowling black eyes bore into her as he let go of her arm.

"What do think I'm doing here?" Maya shot back her smile faltering then disappearing completely into a scowl of her own. "It's been over two weeks with no word. I wanted to see if you were still alive!"

"Well…you've seen me, I'm alive. Now leave!"

"What's wrong with you? Sev, what's going on?" Maya eyed him shrewdly. This change in him was more than being trapped with Pettigrew and the Death Eaters for two weeks.

"There is nothing wrong. I just don't have time to entertain needy witches who are turned on by dark marks. Now go before you get us both killed," he said, anger rising at her stubbornness.

"Needy? You son of a -" she growled back at him.

"What did you think was happening here? Did you envision a wedding and a picket fence? What would have given you the idea that there was anything more than fu-?"

The slap stung Maya's hand. A candlestick rocked on the nightstand and the windows rattled in their frames. Snape struggled to control his anger. "How dare you!" she spat, squaring her shoulders and pulling her small frame as tall and rigid as possible in an attempt to look him in the eye. "I've never assumed, never expected anything from you. You can walk away any time you like. I thought after being locked up, in a house that I know you despise - with the worm and Merlin knows who else - for over two weeks with no word that I should at least check to make sure you hadn't been left in a ditch to die."

A solitary thought flickered through the fog of anger in Severus' mind. 'Why can't you see that this is the best way I can protect you,' but then it was gone and all he could focus on was the cold fury seething through him.

"I never asked for your protection!"

For and instant Severus was stunned. She had broken through his mental shields and heard his thoughts! He was certain now that her presence was a distraction that would have deadly consequences for both of them. Severus stepped forward until he had to look down his long nose to see her face. To her credit, Maya did not flinch but stood her ground, glaring back into his onyx eyes, flames of rage shining in her eyes.

"I have managed just fine without your presence for sixteen years, I certainly don't need your help now. I can not think or concentrate with you constantly underfoot. This is not some fairytale romance, you dizzy cow. You're pathetic!"

"Fine, have it your way. You call me pathetic…I'm not the one dreaming about a dead woman." She turned and reached for the door. She felt his long fingers clamp down on her upper arm like a vice, spinning her to face him as he shoved her roughly against the wall of the small dingy bedroom.

"Do not ever talk about her again." His voice was the same deadly calm he had used with Nathaniel Sturbridge that night in Boston. 'How did she know about Lily?' The thought flew through his mind but he quickly pushed it away. "Get out," he said, opening the door and shoving her roughly through it, slamming the door in her face.

There was no sign of Pettigrew as Maya stormed down the narrow stairs and through the sitting room to the front door. She counted this as a blessing because in her fury she couldn't altogether say she wouldn't have killed the man on sight.

Once on the porch with the door shut behind her, Maya apparated straight to Tonks' flat above Zonko's Joke Shop. She couldn't go back to the dungeons, not after the things he'd just said to her. The word pathetic rang through her head over and over in his voice. 'I'm pathetic?' she fumed in her head as she stormed through Tonks' door.

As she disappeared with a loud crack the curtains on a second story bedroom closed. 'Infernal woman! At least she's out of my hair now,' Snape thought as he watched her vanish. He refused to acknowledge the small corner of his soul that seemed to ache at the sight of her disappearing figure.

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Tonks' head poked out into the hall from the bedroom in surprise at the sudden unexpected visitor. "Maya, what's-?" She didn't finish the question as Maya stormed past her and went straight for the loo. "Okay. When you gotta go, you gotta go," she said, confused as Maya slammed the bathroom door. Tonks could hear the shower turn on full blast and decided she wouldn't be getting an explanation anytime soon.

Maya let the hot water pound her body. Large droplets of hot water ran the length of her nose, eyelashes, and back as the water washed away the anger. Slowly she let herself cry. Not racking sobs but slow tears that matched the sadness in her heart. She would not let the world see her cry for him, to see that she had been a fool again. The strange part was that before this moment she would have said she wasn't even certain she had wanted a relationship. They certainly hadn't talked about their situation in any sort of definite terms, and even if they had agreed they had wanted a long term situation, there was still a war going on.

She stood still under the water until her fingers became wrinkled and white and the tears had stopped. She felt robotic as she shut off the tap and wrapped herself in a towel. Maya couldn't help but remember those days just after her injury when he had helped her so diligently. When she came out of the bathroom Tonks was seated on the couch. Maya joined her and unwrapped the towel from her hair, releasing her long curls.

"It looks like we're both single now," Maya announced darkly.

"What? Maya no way. That greasy git!" Tonks exclaimed. "If Sirius were here he'd tear him apart."

"But Sirius isn't here." Maya sighed deeply. "I'm fine, really, or I will be anyhow." Maya conjured two cups of tea and sipped gingerly. Little by little she told Tonks what had happened at Spinner's End.

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"An Unbreakable Vow," Dumbledore said, deep in thought. Dumbledore sat in the high-backed chair behind his large desk, which was overflowing with parchments and quills as he prepared for the start of a new term.

"I had no choice, Albus." Snape sighed in defeat from his place at the window, where he stood gazing out at the Great Lake. The sun shimmered on the water and suddenly he wished he was down there, leisurely strolling the lake's edge and not here discussing a plot to kill the Headmaster.

"No, no, my boy, you did the right thing. Obviously Voldemort means for Draco's task to be a punishment to Lucius. He either fails and is killed by Voldemort or is caught and spends his life in Azkaban."

"That's about the whole of it, yes. Bella hopes she can save her nephew and undermine me all in one go. So far her plan is working out perfectly."

"Perhaps, but this does give us an opportunity."

"An opportunity? Opportunity for what?"

"To save a young boy's soul. He trusts you, Severus. You can try to find out what he is planning so we can mitigate any harm to other students or teachers."

"What if he succeeds? What then? He'll spend the rest of his life in Azkaban, or worse, be given the dementors kiss."

"No, he must not succeed. My time is already limited." Dumbledore raised his injured wand hand. "My concern is for the boy. The damage to his soul could be irreparable. No, Severus. When the time comes, you must be the one to do it."

"And me? What about my soul?"

"I will be dead within the year, Severus. In any case, I believe we may be able to save you both. You have everything you need to heal your soul already."

"What?"

"I trust Miss Ladon has settled in?"

Severus bristled at the mention of Maya's name. "I'm sure Miss Ladon has made other living arrangements," he said stiffly.

"My boy, why are you always so willing to discount the most powerful forms of the magic you hold so dear?"

"Leave it, Albus. It's done." He did not meet Dumbledore's eyes; instead he returned his gaze to the lake.

"Very well. There is one other piece of business we have to discuss. As you know we again find ourselves one teacher short."

"Which lunatic have you hired this year?"

"While you were away, I was able to convince Horace Slughorn to return for the year."

"Slughorn? But Potion's is my -" He paused narrowing his eyes at Dumbledore. "So that is to be my pay off then? To finally give me the position I've wanted for sixteen years, only so I can become a murderer at the end of the term," Severus laughed bitterly.

"Think of it as a consolation, Severus, an apology."

Severus was silent but shook his head.

"I have appointed one other post for the term. I have asked Miss Ladon to serve as head of Security for the year. She will be working closely with the Auror detail that has been assigned to Hogwarts and the village. You two will be seeing a lot of each other. I suggest you find a way to put whatever disagreement you've had behind you or this could be a very long term."

"That is very unlikely." Severus suddenly had a blinding headache. "Voldemort has requested I stay with Pettigrew at Spinner's End until the start of term. You can reach me there if you need me." He turned and made his way to the door.

"Be careful, Severus."

"Have no fear, Albus. I'll keep myself alive long enough to get the job done." And with a slam of the door he was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Same Mistake Again***

* Same Mistake Again, (2007). All the Lost Souls. James Blunt.

Maya lay in bed late into the night still trying to process the argument she had with Severus. It had been two weeks ago and there had not been any sign that he had returned to the castle. 'What the hell happened,' she asked herself for the thousandth time as she watched Boris, the miniature dragon Charlie Weasley had given her for Christmas, circle the ceiling. Boris circled the room twice more then landed on her bedside table, yawning and tucking his snout under his tail. Tonks was on another long shift at the Ministry. Since Remus had left to seek out Greyback's pack Tonks had taken any extra shifts she could get to keep herself busy to the point of exhaustion. Maya turned to see the clock on the small table.

'After one in the morning,' she groaned inwardly and raked her hands across her face and into her hair. She immobilized Boris for the night and rolled over, burying her face in her pillow, once again trying to find sleep. Tomorrow was the first staff meeting to prepare for the new term and Dumbledore would be announcing her appointment as Head of Castle Security. It would also be the first time she would see Severus since their fight at Spinners End. Now that the term was getting ready to start, much of her time would be split between the school and the village. Avoiding him was not an option. This was going to be a very long year.

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Snape and Dumbledore sat comfortably in armchairs drinking brandy as the fire flickered in Snape's sitting room. The two had again been discussing the possible repercussions of the Unbreakable Vow.

"Have you spoken to Maya recently? Your quarrel seems most regrettable. I think she had a good effect on you, Severus." Dumbledore focused his blue gaze on Snape, who purposefully avoided meeting the old wizard's eyes.

"She is a distraction. I could not work with her always underfoot. She is infecting my mind like some kind of poison, Albus," Snape exclaimed in exasperation. 'All I can think about is the feel of her next to me and the scent of her hair that I can't seem to eradicate from my rooms!' he thought bitterly. "- and what of it!" His frustration rose with each word.

"I think most would call what you describe love, my boy," Dumbledore replied, as if it were the obvious answer to the younger man's dilemma. Severus snorted.

"The prospect of love died for me sixteen years ago. And in any case what could I offer her? One day she will wake up and realize she wants a fairy tale and not some shadow of it and where will I be Albus? Will I be in some dark foul corner of the world playing spy for the Order, pretending to enjoy doing things that would repulse any normal wizard or will I be rotting in Azkaban, or more likely yet-," he laughed humorlessly, downing the last of his brandy, "dead." His cold eyes seemed untouched by the warmth of the fire in front of him.

"Interesting. In the short time that I have known her, I have never taken Maya Ladon for the type of young woman that would prefer a fairy tale over an opportunity at real love that was right in front of her. Some would say it wise to let the young lady make up her own mind, Severus. One never knows the magic that love can perform. It has been known to protect even the utterly defenseless from certain death." The old wizard looked pointedly at the younger man but Snape continued to avoid his expressive blue eyes.

"Love? I have told you before that word will only apply to one person for me…and she is long dead."

"That's the beauty and magic of love. Its limits are infinite. Sometimes when we are sure that it has become lost to us forever, if we allow ourselves to be open to it, love can sprout forth and bloom in the least likely of places."

"Think what you like Albus. I'm not in love, love is for fools," Snape spat venomously.

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The staff lounge was a comfortable room with large armchairs and sofas, a large fireplace, and a long table where teachers could spread out and eat, grade papers, or do planning. Along one wall was a centuries old Buffet with a tea service and biscuits and scones laid out. Teachers began to enter and make cups of tea, taking their seats at the table. Maya, cup of tea in hand chose a seat in an armchair that gave her a good view of the door and of the large table. After a few moments the room was filled with teachers, still yawning and gingerly sipping their tea or reading the Profit waiting for the meeting to come to order.

Severus arrived ten minutes later, frock coat neatly in place and buttoned to the collar, not a thread out of place. Maya frowned, his eyes looked tired, he was doing a fine job of concealing it but she could tell. He entered the room and went straight to the buffet to pour a cup of tea. He didn't see her until he turned around to take a seat at the table. Unfortunately for them both, most of the seats around the table were taken, leaving only a seat next to Sybill Trelawney the divination Professor or the armchair next to Maya.

The sight of her there caught him by surprise. The grey eyes and raven hair didn't suit her at all. The cool eyes held none of the warmth he had admired in her natural blue ones. He paused for a moment, giving her a steely glare, then stepped to the side and took a seat in the chair next to her, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

Maya tried not to roll her eyes in exasperation as Severus took his seat and tried not to look at her. She had expected him to still be angry, but ignoring her was simply childish. She had hoped they would still be able to work together like adults, perhaps she was wrong.

Dumbledore was the last to arrive, in a set of deep purple robes with shimmering silver moons embroidered along the hem and collar. He wished good morning to several of the teachers as he made himself a cup of tea, giving Maya a nod of recognition as he took his seat at the head of the table.

"Welcome back to those who took time away this summer," Dumbledore began. "You will notice some old and new faces have joined us this year, so let us begin with some introductions shall we? Severus has most graciously agreed to cover Defense Against The Dark Arts this year," the surrounding staff members murmured and sent surprised looks at Severus. Maya couldn't help looking over at him in surprise. Snape who had been sitting in silence, scowl firmly in place and looking at no one in particular, only nodded in acknowledgement of Dumbledore's announcement.

"Some of you may remember Horace, Professor Slughorn has been kind enough to come out of retirement to fill the vacancy that Severus leaves in the Potions classroom. Welcome back Horace," Dumbledore said, addressing a large man with a mustache that made him resemble a walrus.

"Thank you Albus. Just remember you promised me a decent office this time," Slughorn said sourly.

"Rest assured, Severus will keep his current quarters and office in the dungeons," Maya swore the old wizard glanced in her direction, "as he will be continuing as the Head of Slytherin House. Horace you will have the quarters just off the Defense classrooms and Professor Merrythought's old office down the hall if that is acceptable?"

Yes, that will be quite alright," Slughorn said appeased.

"Which brings me to security. It was confirmed at the end of last term that Voldemort has returned and he and his followers have wasted no time spreading fear and chaos these past few months. Aurors Tonks, Proudfoot, Savage, and Dawlish have been assigned by the Ministry to patrol Hogsmeade village for the term to ensure safety for students, staff, and villagers. In addition to the Auror security detail, I have instituted a Hogwarts Head of Security for this term and the foreseeable future until the threat of Voldemort is extinguished." Dumbledore looked around the room.

"Some of you may have noticed we have another new staff member with us. Please help me in welcoming Ms. Ravenhill to our staff. She will serve as our Head of Security and will be coordinating with the Aurors as well as being in charge of teacher's patrolling schedules. Please feel free to get acquainted before the start of term," he said. Maya was used to the curious stares and whisperings that came with being the new face in the room. She smiled back and tried to take each face into memory. Dumbledore moved on to other topics to do with the start of term and the rest of the meeting flew by. After Dumbledore adjourned the meeting, Maya stood to leave.

"Ms. Ravenhill, glad you could join us this term," said a crisp voice. Maya turned to see Minerva McGonagall, as present and correct as ever.

"Thank you. I'm glad to see you feeling better," Maya said, voice low as not to be over heard by the other teachers. Minerva had been released from St. Mungo's. After just a few days and in true Gryffindor form she was back at her desk preparing start of term letters and letters to perspective first years within twenty-four hours of her return.

"Rubbish!" said the older witch, "It will take more than stunners from that useless lot to put me out of commission. How they ever became Aurors is beyond me."

"Yes, well I'm glad to see you on your feet again," Maya smiled at the older woman, glad to have her friendship finally.

"Severus, have you been over to say hello to our new Head of Security?" McGonagall asked over her shoulder and Maya could feel her stomach flip. She and Severus had not spoken since he had returned for the start of term.

Severus, who had been making his way to the door, stopped and appraised Maya's raven waves, delicately styled in a bob around her face, and grey eyes the color of storm clouds. He frowned, "Good day Minerva, Ms. Ravenhill." He gave them a short bow and walked briskly out the door.

"Patience, with that one, dear," Minerva said. "He can be rather stubborn, especially when he's the one in the wrong."

Maya felt her cheeks go pink. She hadn't been aware that her fight with Severus had become public knowledge in the Order.

"Don't worry, I don't think anyone else knows," McGonagall said. "Albus only told me because Severus came back in such a foul mood. He said I should be warned it could be a long term this year, unless the young man wises up and makes things right."

"Not much luck there, I'm afraid. I think he's made up his mind." As the last remaining staff members left the room, Dumbledore approached the two women.

"Good morning Minerva, India."

Maya wrinkled her nose. "Going by a different name will take some getting used to."

"Yes, I'm sure it will, but it is for the best," Dumbledore said.

"I know. It just feels so – strange."

"Did you want something Albus?" Minerva asked.

"Perceptive as always Minerva. Miss Ravenhill will you be free to accompany me later this evening? We have a matter to attend to in Sussex."

"Well I'll leave you to it then," said McGonagall. "I bid you both a good day."

"Goodbye, Minerva, and thank you," she smiled at the older woman sincerely grateful for her attempt to brighten her spirits. Minerva simply returned her smile and gathered her Gryffindor class schedules and left the room.

"Yes, I can join you." Maya turned to Dumbledore. "This month's patrolling schedules are mostly finished. It will only take me an hour or two."

"Excellent. I will meet you outside the Great Hall, say seven o'clock?"

"Seven it is."

"I'll leave you to your duties then." Dumbledore and Maya walked together out into the hall and in the direction of the main entrance. "Are you sure you won't allow me to have a room made up for you here at the Castle?"

"No. I'm quite comfortable down in the village." Maya knew she answered to fast to appear casual. "Really, I'm just fine where I am."

"It appears your mind is made up then. I will see you this evening." Dumbledore gave her a sincere smile under his long white beard and turned in the direction of his office.

ddddddddddddddd

The moment Maya crossed the protective wards of her Grandmother's Mayfair estate, she released the spell returning her to her natural appearance. She was spending so much time looking like someone else when she finally got to shed her disguise it was like taking the first breath of fresh air after rising from a deep pool.

Dumbledore was right next to her as she apparated. "I understand you make regular visits to Mayfair," Maya said as they crossed the courtyard to the main entrance.

"I've been known to be a guest from time-to-time. Essie Ladon plays a mean game of Gobstones."

"Indeed she does. I wouldn't play poker with her either." Maya smiled at the old wizard from the corner of her eye. They found Esmeralda Ladon taking in the last rays of summer on the large terrace. "Gran, how are you?"

"Maya! I'm so glad to see you could join Albus this visit. But wait? Where is Professor Snape? I thought he might be joining you again." Essie Ladon missed nothing. Her granddaughter was wasting time. Imagine, thirty and not married! Besides Professor Snape seemed to be an excellent candidate as long as she didn't miss the opportunity. After a certain age wizards became accustomed to being bachelors and it was difficult to sway them. Just look at Albus! There was no question of the young man caring for her granddaughter, Essie could see that after only seeing them together the one time.

"No Gran. I think Dumbledore is all the protection I need for today. Besides, Professor Snape is a very busy man."

"Nonsense, I would like to see more of him. He does not need to stand on invitation or to wait until you need his protection! You should bring him to tea, this weekend perhaps."

It was not a question or a request. It was an order and Maya knew it. The type of order reserved for commanding officers, grannies and aunties that bound you to meeting their demands without question. How was she supposed to tell her Gran that Severus could barely stand to be in the same room with her? "I'll see Gran. The term starts soon, he's very busy getting ready for students."

Essie looked at her granddaughter shrewdly and had a good idea that the two young people had had some sore of row. "Do try at least. Dumbledore said you were here to strengthen the wards on the estate? The oldest wards on the property require a blood relative to set them. Do you remember how to do it?"

"Yes, I could do it in my sleep." Maya's father had taken great care to make sure his only daughter would be able to set the wards if she ever needed to return to Mayfair for safety should anything ever happen to himself and his wife.

"Good, Good. Why don't you begin there while Dumbledore and I catch up?"

Again, not a request. Maya could tell when she was being sent from the room, like a child being sent out to play, but she smiled and shook her head. "Okay Gran, I'll be sure to start in the basement and work my way up."

"Like a family, you begin with the foundation," Essie recited from memory.

"Yes, Gran." Maya's father had given her the same instructions hundreds of times, but sadly she couldn't remember the last time, like she couldn't remember his last hug, or the last time he said I love you. Why was it you forget the most important things, not realizing they're important until they're gone?

Once Maya was back in the house, Dumbledore waved his wand and a chessboard appeared on the tea table that sat between his chair and Essie's.

"Chess today Albus? Afraid I will beat you again at Gobstones?"

"You usually do, Essie. Your move first I think."

The old woman quickly moved a white pawn without much thought. "What's this about my granddaughter and the Professor?" Essie cut right to the chase.

"I rather think that is a question for Maya, don't you?"

"Rubbish, you can't leave these things to young people, they just muck it up!"

Dumbledore sighed and moved his own black pawn. "I believe they have had a quarrel."

"A quarrel? What sort of a quarrel?"

"I do not know the details, Essie. Unfortunately, Severus and Maya are both rather tight lipped about the whole thing. They have this silly notion that they are adults and that its none of my concern. All I know is that they have not seen much of each other since the start of the summer. I don't think there's much talking going on at all in fact."

"Not talking? Rubbish? This is what I'm talking about! Young people never know what they're doing. Albus, you make sure these two sort this out! I rather liked that young man."

"I admit I am rather fond of your granddaughter as well. But Severus has been clear that he does not want my counsel on the matter."

"Tosh, Albus. Of course he will listen to you. You are like a father to him." Essie waved off his comment with one wrinkled hand. "I'm sure you have left some influence on the young man."

"Alas, I rather wish I had intervened with him sooner."

"What's this? Does Albus Dumbledore have regrets?"

"I'm afraid, quite a lot of them, Essie. Intervening on the behalf of a neglected but gifted young boy is but one of many." Dumbledore's eyes became broody and lost in the past.

After several minutes, Essie gave another wave of her hand. "Tosh, I say. Getting down on yourself now will serve no purpose what-so-ever."

"Quite right, indeed." Dumbledore seemed to snap out of his reminiscence. He shook his head and gave a quiet chuckle. "You know, I don't think anyone has ever fought so hard to get a young woman involved with poor Severus. You do know about his past don't you, Essie?"

"Of course I do. I didn't live under a rock during the last war, Albus. But you vouched for him did you not?"

"I did."

"Has that changed? Does he still have your support?"

"No, it hasn't changed. Severus has my trust now more than ever. Remember that Essie, no matter what others say or think they know, Severus has my trust. I know he is loyal to me."

"Then that's all I need, Albus. I've known you too long to doubt your word."

Footsteps could be heard on the marble floor, making their way to the terrace. "What are you two whispering about over there?" Maya said, eyebrow raised suspiciously. She had pulled her long brown hair off of her neck in the heat and secured it in a bun with her wand.

"Flobberworms," Essie said. "They're destroying my petunias."

"Right. Somehow I doubt it. Go on then keep your secrets."

"I assume you have finished the family wards then?" Albus said as if he were speaking to a student who had spoken out of turn.

"Yes, my end's wrapped up."

"Excellent," and with his wand in his injured hand, Dumbledore worked an intricate weave of complex protective magic over the estate. The great house and surrounding grounds shimmered for several moments and a brilliant gold light shown through every window, under every door and every chimney. Then it was over as quickly as it began.

"You always were a swotter, Albus." Essie shook her head.

"Gran, only you would tease Albus Dumbledore about being an over-zealous student!"

"Well really, all this fuss! Do you really think it is necessary?"

"I do indeed. The Ladons are a powerful pureblood family. And the family holds a seat on the Wizengamot. If Voldemort takes control of the ministry he will want to control anyone who has ties to its government and courts.

"The high court?" Maya asked surprised. She obviously did not know everything about her parents lives in England.

"Yes, the Ladons have sat on the high court since its creation hundreds of years ago. The seat has sat empty since your father's death, waiting for another Ladon to become of age to fill it," Essie said.

"That's why you wanted my identity to remain secret?" Maya looked to Dumbledore.

"Partially, yes. You are now of age, your return would obligate you to fill the seat or name a successor. I admit though, the idea of Voldemort deducing your ability as a dragon, given your family history was just as troubling. Pureblood, influential family, a powerful animagus, and a seat on the high court; you see why you would be a prime target for Voldemort.

"Then why would you send me back?" Maya asked thinking of her failed mission to America last year.

"With Voldemort still in hiding, I thought we would have time to use your connections to gain information in America and if the Death Eaters came looking for you it would be in America. Having them know you're here in England is too great a risk at the moment. And do not fret too much, your mission with Severus was not a failure." Maya looked doubtfully at the old wizard. "Indeed, your mission has provided information that has proved to be vital to our cause." Maya continued to be puzzled but Dumbledore was not going to give her any more information.

"Well, It's getting late and Maya and I must be returning to the school."

"Yes," said Essie. "I am getting older, one more glass of wine and the elves will be carrying me to my bed," she laughed.

"Goodnight Gran. I love you and I'll see you soon." Maya hugged the older witch and placed a soft kiss to her check. Even with all the chaos in the world she was grateful for these moments with her grandmother that returning to England had given her.

"Take care Maya, love." Essie returned her granddaughter's kiss. "Albus, take care of my granddaughter." She gave Dumbledore a sharp look that told her old friend that she meant Severus as well as her granddaughter's physical safety.

"I am doing my best, Essie." Dumbledore smiled sadly at her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:** **Radio Silence***

* Radio Silence, (2013). Album – Reflection. Luca Chiaravalli, Lara Pagin, Alex Callier.

Maya sat at the small kitchen table in the Hogsmeade flat, diagrams of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade station and Kings Cross spread out in front of her. She scrawled notes on a parchment with a muggle ball point pen while absent mindedly twirling her wand with the other hand. She had met with Dumbledore earlier that day to start planning for the student's arrival and was halfway through devising a plan when the door to the tiny flat opened and a mousey haired young woman with sad dark eyes walked through.

"Tonks, is that you?" Maya called from the table, and then froze when she glanced up and got her first look at the woman. "Trying a new look?"

"Remus left today," Tonks said dejectedly slumping into a kitchen chair across from Maya.

Maya took in her hooded dark brown eyes and limp brown hair that made her a unique combination of Andromeda Black and Ted Tonks. She raised a questioning eyebrow at her friend.

"I can't morph. I've been trying all day."

"Oh, Tonks! Not at all?"

"Not so much as an eyelash since he left early this morning. I went to say goodbye, to show him I still cared, even if he is being a pigheaded. Anyhow, I tried to keep it cordial but somehow we ended up rehashing the same argument, 'he's too dangerous, too old, too poor, there's a war on.'" Tonks ticked off each of Lupin's excuses one at a time on her small hands. "I tried to make him see reason but he just won't listen. On my way home I caught a glimpse of myself in a window and nearly fell over. I tried for twenty minutes until I gave myself a headache, and nothing, not a hair, not a freckle." Tonks sniffled and pulled a worn tissue from her pocket, dabbing at the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Maya reached across the table and took Tonks hand giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sure this will right itself when you and Remus sort this all out."

"What if we never do? He's being so stubborn."

"It won't feel like this forever. Eventually it will start to hurt a little less. Once you get back on your feet I'm sure your abilities will right themselves." Maya tried to be reassuring. She didn't have the heart to tell her friend that it had taken years for her own broken heart to heal.

"That's not the worst of it." Tonks pulled her wand and cast a patronus. Her usual energetic jack rabbit did not make an appearance. Instead a great wolf appeared leaping from her wand. It circled the perimeter of the room, it sniffed at the air, ears pricked forward on alert. When it was satisfied the room was safe it shimmered and faded away.

"Merlin! I've heard that it could happen but never knew anyone before that experienced it."

"It appeared today when I sent a message to Dumbledore. I would have welcomed the change before, but now? Every day I'll have a reminder that he doesn't want to be with me."

"I'm so sorry, Tonks." Maya gave her hand another squeeze. "I know how you feel a little though."

Tonks frowned. "Maya, I'm sorry. This year has got to be horrible for you, having to work near Snape and see him every day. I was so excited about us being able to work together I completely forgot about him returning for the start of term."

Maya's face fell slightly. "Yes, he returned a few weeks ago for the first staff meeting, but then he was gone again. I'm guessing he'll be back for good starting with tomorrow's security meeting."

"Speaking of, how goes the plans?"

Maya looked down at her forgotten diagrams, lists, and protocols and shrugged. "Not bad I think. See what you think." She handed over her stack of notes to Tonks, glad to have a change of subject and to get her mind back on something that wasn't Severus. The two witches spent the remainder of the afternoon bent over the kitchen table making notes and marking positions on the diagrams.

ddddddddddddddd

Maya stood at the head of the long table in the Hogwarts teacher's lounge, hands full with papers and schedules. Her first true test as Head of Security was to organize the student's safe return. Today's meeting included Professors McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, and Snape as the four house heads, and the four Aurors including Tonks, Filch, Hagrid, and of course Dumbledore. She had created a system that she was certain would provide excellent protection for the students and get everyone inside as quickly as possible in a well-organized fashion. The purple hues of dusk filtered through the tall windows and she glanced at the grandfather clock in the back of the room as it chimed six.

"You're on, love," Tonks said with a grin from her seat to Maya's right. Maya smiled back, grateful for her friend's support even when she was struggling with her own problems. Maya looked around the table, everyone appeared to be there, even Severus who was seated at the opposite end of the table, as far away from her as possible.

"Alright everyone," Maya said calling the meeting to attention. "The students arrive tomorrow and we are the ones selected to ensure they arrive safely. So let's start with Kings Cross then shall we?" Maya pointed her wand at the large chalk board across the room and a detailed flow chart with diagrams of Kings Cross station, Hogsmeade station, and Hogwarts itself appeared.

"The minister has assigned a separate Auror team who, with support from the Order of the Phoenix will provide security at Kings Cross. These teams will work together to search the station prior to students arrival, ensuring that all students board the train, and will conduct a thorough search of the train before its departure. In addition, Bill and Arthur Weasley will be providing security while on the train and will be meeting with the Prefects and Head Boy and Girl to brief them on their support roles once they reach the castle. Everyone with me so far?" Maya paused to see nodding heads all way round. "Good."

"Once the train arrives, Bill and Arthur will report to Auror Tonks who will be supervising the Hogsmeade station. Our prefects will be assisting her, ensuring that younger students board the coaches in a timely manner and that no stragglers are left behind. Head Boy, Roger Davies, and Head girl, Samantha Holbrook, will report to me and will be in charge of getting students off the coaches and into the great hall. Mr. Filch will be using the Probity Probe provided by the Ministry to scan students at the front entrance, to ensure that no contraband items or items containing dark magic are brought onto school grounds." Filch twitched with glee from his seat at the table, ecstatic in his role and the possibility of finally being able to have proof that students were smuggling in off limit items into the school, he had been trying to get his hands on a probe for years and now he had his chance. Maya frowned at him. She wasn't fond of the foul little man and hoped to have little interaction with him this year.

"Hagrid, as usual you will be in charge of getting the first years onto the boats and across the lake. With the risk of Dementors in the area, Aurors Proudfoot and Savage will be accompanying you across the lake. Feel free to use any other methods of protection you see fit," Maya said, eyeing his folded umbrella, which she knew contained the broken pieces of his wand.

"Right, you are," he said with a smile under his great bushy beard. "And I'll have Fang with me too, just to be sure."

Maya smiled at Hagrid's support and took a deep breath. She was getting the swing of this now. "Minerva as usual will be meeting the first years as they exit the boats and will be escorting them in for the sorting ceremony. With your consent, Minerva, I've assigned Miss Holbrook to assist the Gryffindor prefects in getting the Gryffindors off the coaches and to their seats?"

"I'm sure Samantha will be up to the task," Minerva said confidently.

"Thank you Minerva. Myself and Mr. Davies will be monitoring the grounds along with Auror Dawlish. Once the Hogsmeade station has been cleared and secured, Auror Tonks will join us at the castle." Maya glanced at the remaining House Heads. "Filius, Pamona, and Severus," she paused a moment on his name and he briefly met her eyes. Maya felt her cheeks flush slightly and quickly moved on. "If you need any additional support please let me know. Since you are all experienced heads I didn't assign you any additional man power, but if you need it I can pull someone without much difficulty."

"I think for now we can handle things," said Flitwick. "But perhaps having an extra wand or two floating through the Hall for crowd control until the students are properly seated? Sometimes new prefects are a trifle meek in standing up to their fellow students."

"Good point, Filius." Maya thought for a minute. "I can handle the front entrance myself. Mr. Davies can assist Minerva with the first years when he is finished helping getting students off of the coaches and Auror Dawlish if you would, you can help patrol the great hall until the rest of us arrive." Dawlish looked anything but pleased to be assigned to patrolling the great hall but he didn't argue. "Good. Aurors Tonks, Proudfoot, Savage and myself will also report to the Great Hall. Once all the students are seated and we arrive, Mr. Davies and Miss. Holbrook will return to sit with their houses. Is that agreeable Filius?"

"Quite, thank you, India."

Maya returned her attention to the room as a whole. "If at any point you see something amiss, notify myself, Tonks, or Dumbledore directly. The three of us will be in direct contact at all times." Her hand went to the dragon and snake pendant at her neck. "In an emergency send up sparks, be sure that they can be seen from both the Hogsmeade station and here at the front of the castle." Maya paused looking around the room. "Any questions?" She couldn't help looking in Severus' direction again. His face was drawn into a scowl but he remained silent. Around the room his fellow professors, Filch, and Aurors alike all shook their heads and Maya breathed a sigh of relief. At least there were no major oppositions. "Okay then, that's all I have Headmaster."

"Thank you, India. Miss Ravenhill has provided us with a well-organized plan to ensure our students arrive safely tomorrow night. I encourage all of you to be familiar with your role in tomorrow's festivities and to please bring any questions to myself or to India. If there is nothing else, I will see you all tomorrow afternoon."

ddddddddddddddd

The September sky was a beautiful blue and the mountain air smelled of the cool lake and lush grass. By the time the blast from the Hogwarts Express could be heard signaling its arrival in the Hogsmeade Station, the sky was all soft purples and indigos and stars and fireflies had begun to wink in the sky.

"Right on time," Maya announced. Her hand absently went to the pendant at her neck. She had no idea why she still wore it; there was hardly a chance he would use it to contact her and it was highly doubtful that he would be wearing the cufflinks. She shook the dark thoughts from her mind and tried to focus on the situation at hand.

The great silvery wolf patronus leaped towards Maya delivering its message that all of the carriages had been filled and were on the way. Tonks was securing the train and would report to the castle as soon as she was finished. "Be on the ready, the coaches will be arriving soon."

"I'm off to meet Hagrid and the first years," Minerva said before turning down the path that led to the edge of the lake.

"I'll see you in the Great Hall," Maya called after her. Soon Maya could see the eerie sight of the leathery winged thestrals pulling the lonesome line of coaches up the path to the castle gates. Students stepped down from the coaches some excitedly chatting, others looking frightened while prefects and older students helped younger ones down the steep carriage steps.

"Miss Ravenhill?" called a young boy who looked no older than seventeen. Next to him stood a pretty blond girl with kind blue eyes.

"Yes, you must be Mr. Davies and Ms. Holbrook."

"Yes Madam," they said in unison. Maya couldn't help wrinkling her nose at being called Madam.

"Excellent. Ms. Holbrook, once students have been moved through the front gates, please help the prefects organize the Gryffindor students and keep an eye on the Gryffindor table in the hall until Professor McGonagall is finished with the Sorting Ceremony. Mr. Davies, please help organize the students into a queue and get them through Filch's checkpoint as quickly as possible. We need to squash any pushing, shoving or other fist-a-cuffs before they start and confiscate any contraband if you see it. And keep an eye out for wands, we want older students to be on alert but no jinxes or pranks, do you understand? If it's something you're not sure about come and find me."

"Yes Miss Ravenhill," they said and strode off eager to live up to their new responsibilities to their school.

Maya watched, wand at the ready as students queued up, single file, as Filch waved them over with the golden Probity Probe and made their way through the castle's main gates. Prefects were doing an excellent job of organizing the students into their perspective houses and leading them up to the school to be met by their Head of House. So far the evening had gone perfectly. Filch had found a monkey's paw, a spirit board, a few other low level dark artifacts and quite a few Zonko's and Weasley joke products from students. After close inspection by Maya and Severus none of it was found to be a serious threat and the items were handed over to Filch for disposal.

Once all of the students had passed through the school's main gates, Maya and Mr. Davies inspected each carriage to ensure no students were left behind. "Alright, Mr. Davies, please report to Professor McGonagall for further instructions."

"Yes, Miss Ravenhill." Davies turned and made his way up to the castle with the last of the students. Maya surveyed the area making sure everything was as it should be.

"'ello, Miss Ravenhill." Hagrid was making his way up the path from the lake. "How's it goin'?"

"So far things are going smoothly professor." She smiled at the friendly half-giant who beamed back at her acknowledgement of his post. Maya had been formally introduced to the half giant Care of Magical Creatures professor while staying at the castle in the weeks following the Ministry attack. "Famous last words though, right?"

"Nah, things have been goin' great tonight. You've done a terrific job!"

"Thanks Hagrid. The coaches are clear, they're all yours."

"Right then. Let's get you lot back so I can get in for the feast." Hagrid led the magnificent winged Thestrals around to the back of the castle to unharness them and stow away the carriages until Christmas break.

"See you up at the feast Hagrid," she called and started up the path towards the castle.

The roar in the Great Hall was deafening as students were talking and laughing and calling to friends at other house tables. The joy of returning students and excitement of first years eagerly awaiting the Sorting Ceremony to find out what house they would belong to was palpable in the air. The enchanted ceiling was clear with dazzlingly bright stars just like the night sky she had left outside a minute ago. Maya nodded to Dawlish, Proudfoot, and Savage who had taken up their positions in the Great Hall. She scanned the house tables. Severus, Sprout, and Flitwick had taken their places at the head table leaving their houses in the care of the prefects, but each was keeping a close eye on their respective tables just the same. Severus in particular seemed to be keeping an eagle eye on his house.

Maya found Ms. Holbrook seated at the Gryffindor table awaiting Minerva's return. She caught the girl's eye and gave her a smile and a nod to let her know she was doing a satisfactory job. Maya's gaze moved past the Gryffindor table, then stopped. Something didn't look right. She brought her eyes back and scanned the table more slowly. 'Bugger it! Where the devil was Potter?' He should have been there with Ron and Hermione but his absence was noticeable. Ron looked nonplussed but Hermione and Ginny Weasley looked worriedly around the room. Maya moved toward the table, quickly sidestepping straggling students still making their way to their seats.

"Ron, Hermione, Ginny, where's Harry? Please tell me he's in the loo or somewhere else equally annoying." Maya briefly touched the pendant at her neck as she spoke and Hermione's eyes lit up with recognition.

"He's not here, Ma-, Miss Ravenhill. He was supposed to be right behind us getting off the train but we got separated while waiting in line for Filch. We didn't see him after that."

"Thank you Hermione. Sit tight. I'm sure we'll find him, likely he's off making mischief somewhere." Maya gave Hermione and Ginny a quick wink and headed off to the Entrance Hall.

Severus watched her conversation with the Gryffindors. It didn't take him long to spot the problem. Maya mouthed to him from the back of the Hall that she was on it and he frowned as she exited the Great Hall.

She sent her patronus off to Tonks as soon as she was out of the Great Hall. 'Hold the train, Potter never made it to the Hall. Better search one more time. I'll search the carriages and grounds. When her silvery dragon was on its way, she sprinted down the path to the carriage house.

Maya searched each carriage with detection and revealing spells, frustrated at the precious time it was taking. She could only hope that Tonks had better luck finding the boy. If he was mucking around she would kill him herself, Chosen One or not! "Bugger!" Maya swore under her breath and sprinted back to the main entrance. True worry was starting to seep in; she should have heard back from Tonks by now. Maya was seconds from raising the main alarm as she burst into the entrance hall only to see Potter being led by the scruff of the collar by none other than Severus.

"Where the hell has he been? And why didn't someone notify me that he had been found?" she hissed but Snape ignored her continuing on his way to the Great Hall, leaving Maya to almost jog behind him to keep up with his long strides. Several other questions swirled in her head. 'Where was Tonks? Why was Potter covered in blood?' but she held her tongue. Severus half dragged the boy up the aisle and deposited him at the Gryffindor table before returning to his chair at the staff table.

Just then Tonks came in, un-morphed dark eyes red and puffy. Maya gave her a questioning look but Tonks waved her off and gave her the all clear signal that the station was secure and the train was on it's way back to London. Maya shrugged and turned away. Dawlish, Proudfoot, and Savage gave her the all clear as well. She caught Dumbledore's eye and gave him a nod indicating that all students had made it inside and the area was secure. She could hear the mighty groan of steel and iron as the massive gates ground closed. And with that Dumbledore called the room to attention and the feast began.

Leaving the boisterous room of children to the teachers and aurors, Maya moved to the entrance hall, patrolling the nearby corridors. Her head ached and the quiet would help to improve her irritated mood. She had almost made it to the entrance to the dungeons when she heard the sound of boots on the hard stone floor. She turned and saw Tonks coming down the hall towards her. Maya smiled, grateful for the friendly company. "How's it going in there?"

"Fine. Sorting's finished and everyone's eating. You did good tonight, ya know."

"I managed to lose Harry Potter, the Chosen One, if you read the Profit, that is."

"About that. It wasn't your fault - it was mine. Harry ran into some sort of trouble with Malfoy on the train. It seems little cousin Draco caught Harry spying on him with his invisibility cloak. Draco managed to get the upper hand and stunned Harry, punched him in the nose and threw his invisibility cloak over him, hoping Potter would be halfway back to London before anyone realized he was gone. I missed him when I made my first sweep of the train. I'm sorry My."

"I guess that explains the blood," Maya said darkly.

"Yeah, I had to heal his broken nose. He was a right mess when I found him."

"But why didn't you let me know you had found him? I was this close to sounding the alarm."

"I sent a patronus, but Snape intercepted it. When he met me at the gate to collect Potter, I told him the message was meant for you and he said you weren't there so he took it instead."

Maya sighed. "Sorry, I was re-checking the carriages. He must have been the closest Order member since I wasn't there."

"And a right git he was, too. He's been unbearable since you two split, you know."

"This is not my fault. And what do mean? What did he say?"

"Said he was interested to see my _new_ patronus, and that he thought I was better off with the old one because the new one looks weak!"

"He said what?" Maya turned and was half way back to the Great Hall to give him a piece of her mind when Tonks stopped her.

"Wait, Maya! As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. If I don't pull myself together soon I'll be lucky if I can do a simple levitation spell."

"No, Tonks! It won't get that bad. Don't let him get to you. He's just miserable and he's trying to make everyone else miserable."

"That may be, but we all know why he's miserable."

"I can't do anything about that, can I?"

"Look, I'm not defending him or anything. I've always thought he was a git, he was my teacher after all. But we both know you're miserable too."

Maya let out a sigh. "I'm sorry he's taking his anger out on you."

"All I'm saying is you didn't know him before. He was like this all the time. You have had a good effect on him, even before the shagging. And frankly if I have to be around him I prefer him to be in a better mood."

"Tonks!"

"Alright, Alright. Let's finish this patrol. By the time we're done the feast will be almost over and we can get outta' here. Savage and Proudfoot have duty tonight so I'll have the rest of the night off. Why don't we get a pint, try to forget about blokes for awhile?"

"Sure, Flitwick and Filch have patrol duty in the castle tonight so I'll have the night off as well." Maya smiled at her friend. They turned and continued on their way down the candle lit corridor to finish the first patrol of the new term.

ddddddddddddddd

Hogsmeade bustled with the renewed crowds that came with the start of the new term. Professors milled the high street, taking in the late summer before the tasks of the term started to consume their time completely. Anxious parents of first years lingered around not quite able to leave their children. It was almost the third week of September and already the Scottish evening air was starting to chill. "Come on, our shift ended ten minutes ago, why don't we hit the Three Broomsticks for a pint before we turn in for the night?" Maya said to the mousey brunette strolling next to her.

"I don't much feel like a pint, thanks My," Tonks voice was as flat as her brown hair. The Auror made a halfhearted kick at a stone with the toe of her heavy boot.

"Tonks we can't patrol all night," Maya urged her friend as the streetlights blinked on, pushing the dim evening light back and illuminating the high-street in an orange glow.

"Maybe you're right." Tonks sighed. She had been melancholy since the start of term, especially after Snape's declaration that her new patronus was weak. "Here comes Hagrid and some other teachers. Maybe they'll join us."

"Yeah, alright."

"Bullocks," Tonks muttered as the gaggle of teachers neared.

"Oi, Tonks. You and Ms. Ravenhill fancy a pint," Hagrid called. He was aware of her need to disguise her appearance and in a rare moment of discretion was able to not give away her identity.

Maya smiled; ready to accept his invitation, when she saw what had made Tonks swear. Snape was lurking at the back of the group, looking surly as ever, his gaze falling everywhere but on her. 'You've got to be kidding, now he decides to be sociable,' Maya thought crossly.

Tonks looked uncertainly between Snape and Maya, not sure if she would accept the invitation or not.

Maya only shrugged. 'It had to happen eventually,' Maya thought. She was certain she could be the bigger person.

Maya offered Hagrid a smile, a little hollow and in-genuine but an attempt nonetheless. "Sure Hagrid, we'd love to."

Slughorn quickly made his way to Maya's side as they walked to the pub. "My dear Ms. Ravenhill, I should remember you as a student if you're talented enough to be an Auror. I'm afraid I'm drawing a blank."

As the little party moved into the brightly lit pub they found an empty table big enough to accommodate them all. "I went to school in America, I'm afraid," Maya said, more than willing to let Slughorn believe she was an Auror to help maintain the secrecy of her true identity.

"Very good, very good. I hear some great things about Trepagnier. In the south, I believe?"

"Yes, It's in New Orleans. Like Hogwarts, it appears as the ruins of a long deserted estate to muggles," said Maya, neither confirming nor disputing whether or not she actually attended the school.

"We are being very rude," said another professor, a witch who looked a little older than Maya. "With all the preparations for the start of term we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Septima Vector, and this charmer is Horace Slughorn." The witch smiled, her brown eyes honest and friendly as she gestured to Slughorn. "And you of course know Hagrid," she said.

"I'm Aurora Sinistra," said another witch with dark hair and eyes, her dark skin giving her an exotic and mysterious look. She was younger than Septima Vector and her voice was deep and rich. "And this sourpuss over here is Severus Snape. Pay no attention to him. He's this way with everyone. You get used to it eventually." Professor Sinistra smiled.

Severus frowned at his co-worker but kept his silence.

Maya gave a halfhearted smile to Professor Sinistra in return. "We've met before, isn't that right Professor," she said in acknowledgement and gave him a brief nod. Snape raised his dark eyes to hers for the first time since they came upon the group of teachers outside. His anger had cooled a bit since their fight at Spinner's End but it was still there, just under the surface as his eyes bore into hers. She met them unflinchingly. She would not be intimidated.

"Miss Ravenhill," he said coolly.

"Please call me India," Maya said turning back to Professor Sinistra.

"Please call me Aurora," said the witch. "Only students get away with calling me professor, it always makes me feel so old." The women laughed together. Maya found she genuinely liked Aurora Sinistra.

"Aurora it is," Maya said, hoping she sounded friendlier then she felt with Severus glaring at her. The small group talked about stories in the 'Profit', what they could expect from students in the upcoming term, and would they be able to make it until the Christmas holidays with this group of first years that seemed to be more trying then ever. Maya managed to make it through the rest of their time together without meeting Severus' angry eyes again or hexing him under the table. After Hagrid had finished his third tankard of mead the party broke up as the teachers decided it was time to make their way back up to the castle to prepare for Friday's long day of classes, which always seemed to stretch twice as long as any other day.

As Tonks and Maya made their way back up the dark high-street, moving in and out of the pools of orange light from street lamps, Tonks snickered and bumped shoulders with her friend. "I'm impressed, you know. I would have sworn you'd have hexed him a good one, him sitting there glaring at you the whole time," Tonks said. "How very _mature_ of you."

"I can be the bigger person you know," Maya sniffled dramatically and put her nose in the air with an appearance of superiority, then laughed sadly. "Seriously though, it had to happen sometime. With him teaching at Hogwarts and me organizing security it was only a matter of time really. It's going to be a very long term."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Tonks reluctantly agreed. "But it still would have been great to see you hit him with a good _jelly legs jinx_ or one of those jinxes that the twins use that cause boils in unpleasant places." Tonks laughed, bumping shoulders with Maya again.

"Indeed. It would have felt very satisfying." They made their way up the stairs to their flat.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Set Fire to the Rain***

* Set Fire to the Rain, (2011). 21, Adele Adkins, Fraser T. Smith.

The early October night was cool and clean, reminding Maya of crisp apples and carving pumpkins. Maya and Tonks followed the edge of the school's enchanted grounds, wands at the ready, their breath visible in frosty plumes. The brilliant quarter moon easily lit their path. "At this rate I'm going to wear out these boots by Christmas," Tonks moaned. "My feet are killing me."

"Mine too. This is my fourth walk around the perimeter today." Maya grimaced as she tried to stretch her aching toes in her boots.

"Next week Dawlish and Proudfoot get to do the perimeter and we get to patrol the village. It's easier on the feet."

"Right, then we can spend half our shift sitting on our arses drinking buttered rum at the Three Broomsticks. We'll need winter cloaks soon. It's getting chilly." A shimmer of red sparks in the trees ahead caught Maya's attention, her grip reflexively tightened on her wand. "Tonks, did you see that? Through the trees, it looked like sparks?"

"What? I didn't see – no wait, I think you're right."

Maya peered hard, trying to see through the darkened forest in the direction of where she had seen the flash of light. "There it is again," she pointed. "Just inside the tree line."

The two women quickened their pace, all thoughts of aching feet vanished. As they followed the boundaries of the grounds to the edge of the forest, they could just make out two hooded figures. They stood just inside the tree line, at the outer edge of the Hogwarts protective wards, firing off nonverbal spells at the invisible barrier that prevented anyone from entering the school grounds.

"Oi! You lot, what are you doing?" Tonks shouted.

"Expulso!" a harsh voice yelled back and the tree nearest to Maya and Tonks exploded into flames.

"Stupify!" Maya's curse shot wide as the figure lunged behind another tree for cover.

"Ruddy bastards!" Tonks cursed as she took cover. She doused as much of the burning tree as she could with an aguamenti spell to keep the flames from spreading. "Blimey do you think they're Death Eaters?" Tonks said sarcastically.

"I'm pretty sure they're not here for tea!"

Tonks fired another spell from behind a tree and Maya took the opportunity to leave the safety of her own cover. She got off two spells, blasting at the tree her opponent was using as cover before his companion was able to get off a spell. The second hooded figure dove for cover behind a large boulder.

"Bombarda!" Maya cried, sending shards of rock and sparks in every direction. Tonks was by her side in seconds, and before they knew it, they were in a heated duel with the two Death Eaters.

"Cover me, Tonks." Maya sprayed water at the places where burning ash had started the underbrush smoldering. Their situation could become perilous quickly if they became trapped in a brush fire.

Tonks threw up a shield charm to cover them. "They're going to catch the whole forest on fire!"

"With us in it if we're not careful." Maya's attention was focused on containing the underbrush. The two Death Eaters took advantage of the moment. A curse splintered a tree just to Maya's side. "Bloody hell!"

The forest exploded in raining sparks and splintered trees as Maya and Tonks exchanged curses and hexes with the two Death Eaters. In the heat of battle the Death Eaters' hoods had slipped down, exposing their faces with the light of the curses they were firing. Maya recognized Gibbons right away from her work with Severus last year.

Tonks' brow furrowed as she blocked a well-aimed curse and repaid Gibbons' companion with a stinging curse to the shoulder of his wand arm.

The Death Eater tried to fire back but the effects of Tonks' curse made his aim wide. "Let's get out of here. An attack wasn't in our orders!" he shouted at Gibbons.

Maya easily deflected Gibbons next two curses, sending dirt spraying into the air as they missed their mark.

"Looks like back up is here," Tonks yelled over the noise of Maya and Gibbons' duel.

Through the smoke and burning trees, Maya could see three figures running towards them. One quite a distance ahead of the other two was tall and lean, and clothed in black. Ozone crackled to her left as one of Gibbons' curses came perilously close to her face. The other Death Eater had rejoined the fray, and the two witches were fighting side by side when Severus reached the edge of the tree line, followed soon after by a panting McGonagall and Dumbledore.

Tonks easily blocked a clumsy jinx and fired off a curse of her own, hitting the Death Eater squarely in the chest and throwing him back several feet. At the same time, Maya's stunner connected with Gibbons and he screamed in pain. A great groaning of wood began in the treetops above them.

"Look out!" Tonks shouted. She lunged out of the way as the massive branch crashed to the ground.

Maya grunted from the impact of her body hitting the ground. Her knee slammed into a rock as she went down, the tree limb narrowly missing her as it crashed to the forest floor. She gingerly got to her feet favoring her throbbing knee.

Gibbons seized the moment while her back was exposed. Maya heard the electric crack of the spell, like lightning behind her and spun around just in time to see Gibbons turn and run. She tried to get off a shield charm but wasn't fast enough. Before she could think of her next maneuver a shield charm appeared so close to her she almost ran into it. The strength of it made the air around her crackle and snap.

Severus stood twenty yards away, wand still drawn, his black eyes on Gibbons. The Death Eater gave Snape a look of loathing then turned, yanked his companion up to his feet and the two were gone in swirls of inky black smoke.

Maya rounded on Severus, chest heaving and cool grey eyes flashing dangerously. "I told you before; I don't need your protection!" She knew she should thank him, that he may have just saved her life, but her wounded pride wouldn't let her say the words. Instead she gave him a scowl and stalked over to help Tonks to her feet.

"Right, next time I'll let him hex you in the back then," Severus said, storming off toward Dumbledore and McGonagall.

"You all right?" Maya asked as Tonks stood brushing dirt and leaves from her clothes.

"Yes, I'm fine, just some scrapes and bruises. Stupid trolls!"

Dumbledore and McGonagall had extinguished the small fires that had erupted in several places. The smoke was thick and choking as Maya and Tonks trudged back to the three professors.

"Damn it! They got away," Maya hissed. She and Tonks were working to catch their breath both from the exertion of the duel and from the smoke that still poured from the just dowsed fires.

"I suppose this is their idea of intimidation, burning down the grounds?" McGonagall said disgustedly.

"No. That was just a curse Gibbons threw at us, trying to scare us off," Maya said, looking to Dumbledore. "They were testing the wards."

"Yaxley was with him," Tonks said. "Voldemort wasn't taking any risks with sending someone new. He sent two experienced Death Eaters from the first war."

"Looked to me like they were looking for weak spots, seeing how the wards would react to an attack," Maya said. Severus gave Dumbledore a meaningful look, and Maya frowned at the two of them. They obviously knew more than they were letting on.

"Good heavens! I guess we knew he would make a go for the school eventually," said McGonagall.

"Dumbledore, we should meet with Flitwick in the morning to talk about ways to strengthen the wards," Maya said.

"Quite right. It's late, I'll notify him first thing in the morning."

Maya looked to Tonks and knew she was thinking the same thing. "Tonks and I will do extra patrols the rest of the night, just in case they decide to come back. I think it's highly unlikely but you can't be too careful."

"But you two look dead on your feet as it is," McGonagall said frowning.

"We'll be fine," Tonks said. "I'll go and give Proudfoot, Savage and Dawlish an update then meet you back at the Great Hall."

"Sounds good. It'll be enough time for me to go and get cleaned up," Maya said gratefully. "I'll see you in thirty. Headmaster, Minerva, I wish you both a goodnight. Severus." Maya gave him a curt nod.

"Good night, my dear," Dumbledore said. Maya turned making her way towards the front gates and the path back to Hogsmeade. "Severus why don't you see what you can find out, won't you?" Snape gave Dumbledore a brisk nod and turned on his heel going back in the direction of the castle.

"There's enough sexual tension between the two of them-," Tonks said eyeing Maya and Severus stalking off in opposite directions.

"Thank you for that astute assessment Ms. Tonks." McGonagall pursed her lips together in a tight line. "We do not need to hear every thought in your head."

Tonks turned a shade of crimson that had nothing to do with morphing. "Right, Professor."

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

Severus sat in his office, a stack of third year essays on boggarts sitting untouched on his desk. He had been irritated that Lupin's idea of using the boggart from the staff lounge was a good idea and that he hadn't been able to come up with a better idea himself. He had been brooding for the last hour and hadn't taken the first essay off the stack.

He rubbed absently at the sore rib on his left side. Gibbons had taken offense at Severus' interference. Snape had made a convincing argument that allowing Gibbons to kill the Head of Security right in front of Dumbledore would not have been a wise way to maintain his cover. Gibbons, however, wasn't known for his logical mind, and he had pulled his wand on Snape in the woods the Death Eaters used as an apparition point for meetings. Gibbons was no match for Severus but the oafish death eater had managed to get in one good curse before Severus broke his nose and his wand.

Severus had healed the fractured rib in minutes but the area was still quite tender. He sighed. Some nights he thought he was beginning to be too old for this foolishness. Merlin knew he felt far older than his thirty-seven years. He was pulled out of his brooding by the sound of a girl's voice. Someone singing in the hall? His mantle clock had chimed half past ten before he had even sat down to look at the essays. Whoever the errant student was would highly regret breaking curfew tonight. He was in no mood to be lenient!

Severus flung the door open, but it wasn't a student. "Ravenhill, what the devil are you doing making all this racket? Do you know what time it is?"

Maya looked up at the sound of his voice. She had been lost in her thoughts as she checked each door in the corridor making sure they were secure. "Have no fear Professor, I'll be out of your way soon enough. I'm just finishing up night patrol. As soon as I make sure the potion rooms are sealed, I'll be off." She checked the classroom doors one by one, making sure they were locked as she walked down the hall toward his office door.

Severus fell into step with her as she walked past. "Do you have to do it with all the caterwauling? Some of us have actual work to do."

"I knew it. Slughorn never locks up," Maya muttered under her breath as she tried the knob for the NEWT level potions classroom. "Look, I'm sorry I bothered you. I wouldn't even be down here if Savage didn't throw such a fit about hating the dampness in the dungeons."

"I don't see why we need extra security here at all! We have always managed just fine before."

"You mean when Quirrell came back with Voldemort growing out of the back of his head?" Maya entered the room to make sure all was as it should be. "Or when Lucius Malfoy planted Voldemort's possessed diary on a student, allowing a Basilisk to roam the plumbing all year? Or better yet when a Death Eater taught Defense all term disguised as Mad-Eye? Right! You lot were doing just fine."

Severus followed her into the classroom. "We both know the only reason you're here is because Dumbledore wants you safely tucked away while the rest of us stick our necks out."

"Severus, I didn't ask to be here. I was offered a job and I accepted it, end of story. And while we're at it that comment you made to Tonks the night of the feast was out of bounds! How dare you take your anger at me out on her?"

"What makes you think it had anything to do with you?" He frowned and clenched his fists, stuffing them in the pockets of his robes to hide his agitation.

"If you can't see what's right in front of your face, then Tonks isn't the only one looking weak these days!" Maya stormed out the classroom and slammed the door as she went, locking it with a wave of her hand.

Severus pulled on the door. It wouldn't budge. He slammed it with a fist. "Maya!" He tried three different unlocking spells before he was able to get the classroom door to swing free. When he stormed out into the hall she was gone.

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

Now that Umbridge had vacated the school and Voldemort's return was irrefutable, students were encouraged to practice defensive magic more than ever. It was professor Bins who suggested that the old dueling room next to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom be cleared out for students to safely practice dueling and defensive spells. The students of Hogwarts had long forgotten the room ever existed and had jumped at the chance to form a dueling club and practice using defensive magic.

The dueling room was enchanted to produce targets and attacks based on the student's year and ability level. Maya found the room helpful for blowing off steam. She usually slipped in after classes were over, but that was becoming more difficult with all of the extra patrolling since the Death Eaters were found testing the school wards. Maya had just finished her afternoon hall patrol while Tonks patrolled the grounds. She had started with the dungeons hoping to get it over with but it had just made her irritable mood worse.

It didn't help matters that she was feeling a little homesick for America. Muggles and witches alike would be gearing up for Halloween, picking apples and finding the perfect pumpkins. The fog and dampness in the Scottish weather took some of the crispness out of the air that she so missed from home. Muggles would be settling in for the second half of the American Football season and starting the countdown to Thanksgiving. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes – the works. It sounded wonderful and as Maya passed the Defense classroom on her way to the dueling room she briefly wondered if returning to England had been a mistake. She shook her head, thinking of her gran and Tonks. No, this fight was far too important.

She entered the dim room, pulled out her wand and shed her cloak, leaving it on a hook by the door. The first target flew at her without warning as the room began a steady warm up. The targets, shaped like magical creatures and hooded figures, flew at her in rapid succession from every direction as she sent well-aimed spells at each of them. After several minutes, Maya had to defend against a variety of minor curses, hexes, and jinx's as well.

Fifteen minutes later, Maya had found her rhythm as the dementor shaped target was blasted into splinters by her spell. She easily blocked a stinging hex that came from somewhere in the blackness off to her right. Perspiration beaded on her forehead and she wiped at it with the back of one hand. A great snake appeared and reared its head a few feet ahead of her and she blasted it back several feet with a wandless spell. "Duro!" she shouted and the snake turned to stone. "Reducto!" The stone serpent exploded, sending shards of rock and sparks flying across the room.

Severus Snape stood in his classroom on the other side of the thick stone wall trying to teach his sixth year students how to perform non-verbal spells. His head ached and he wondered for thousandth time since the start of the term, how so many of these students managed to do well enough on their OWLs to gain entry into his NEWT class. Especially given their teacher last year had been Deloris Umbridge.

"Breathe Potter! Before you pass-." An explosion shook the room in a deafening boom that came from the other side of the wall. The chandeliers swung violently on their chains and centuries of dust fell from bookcases and artifacts on the walls. A doxy flew from its hiding place in a drapery, screeching and rubbing its blurry eyes before taking off like a shot to find another dark hiding spot. Students stood frozen in place murmuring to each other.

"What the bloody hell? Do not leave this room. Is that understood?" Snape stormed out of the classroom, black teaching robes streaming out behind him. He only had to go a few feet to find the source of what sounded like a full on battle coming from the recently re-opened dueling room. He grabbed the handle and pulled hard on the door, throwing it open with all of his force. The room was dim, leaving the objects inside shrouded in shadow. Sparks and ozone from the duel were thick in the air and he could see the back of a familiar feminine figure as it vanished a hinkypunk with a slash of her wand. 'Why is it always her?' he thought warily.

"Do you mind, I am TRYING to TEACH –?" He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence because Maya rounded on him, wand drawn and eyes flashing. She had leveled a curse at his chest before she had fully turned. "Protego!" He defected the spell easily but his anger simmered very close to the surface.

Maya paused for a moment and opened her mouth. The word 'sorry' stuck in her throat and wouldn't come. She hadn't heard him open the door and had mistaken him for another target created by the room. Why would he storm into a room made for dueling like that? He was asking to get cursed! She closed her mouth tightly and instead of an apology, saluted him, her challenge clear.

Severus raised a black brow at her. Most of his class had gathered in the hall ignoring his earlier threat. He drew himself up to his full height and returned her salute, accepting her challenge and took several long strides to meet her in the center of the room.

Maya absently twirled her wand with one hand and took a step to the right. Severus followed her as they began to circle each other. She had expected him to fire first, but it seemed he was content for now to pace her, to see what she was going to do next.

With each step they took the tension in the room thickened. She smirked at him. A wave of her hand sent a jet of brilliant red sparks his way. Severus flicked his wrist and the spell, sometimes called the Lover's Kiss, ricocheted against the wall. The spell had been aimed at his face. His heart pounded in his chest as he realized she had raised the stakes.

The tension in the room crackled as Maya sent a more difficult lightning spell right after it. Severus sent her spell back to her with a casual wave of his wand. She had to be quick with the shield charm to block it. The spell exploded against her shield in a cascade of sparks.

Severus made his first attack. He aimed the stinging hex for the hip where her dark mark lay hidden. Maya lunged to the side just in time but his intent had been clear. Flames flickered in her stormy grey eyes, anger turning her stomach to molten lead. She fought to maintain her control, losing it would only give him the advantage. He was trying to press her buttons, to distract her. She leveled her wand at his chest. The fierce arc of golden fire encircled Severus. The heat from the spell flooded the entire room.

Severus's shield charm held but just barely. The smell of burning ozone and smoke flooded his senses. A wall of water erupted from his wand rushing towards her. How better to cool down the witch!

She backed up several steps as the wave threatened to crash down over her. Steam filled the room making the heat oppressive. She raised her wand, creating a torrent of wind that pushed the great wave back towards Severus.

The wave vanished with a slash of his wand. He kept his eye on the twirling wand in her hand. It may have been a mindless habit but it served as a distraction in a duel. Their circling had brought them in closer together. The heady aroma of lavender lingered with the steam in the room. Severus' memory was flooded with erotic images. He shook his head, slamming his mental shields back in place. He could not lose focus with Maya as an opponent.

They circled each other, close enough to reach out and touch. Close enough that he could hear her ragged breath and see her heaving chest rise and fall. Maya pushed against him with a wandless spell from her other hand. The force of the spell hit him hard in the chest, throwing him back several paces.

Maya twirled her wand faster. With a glint of silver it became a dagger. She threw it, just over his shoulder to land embedded in the wall behind him. The room echoed with the clang of metal against stone. Severus glowered back at her, knuckles white as he clutched his wand in fury.

"Quite an excellent demonstration, Professor Snape, Miss Ravenhill. I assume you both did not hear the bell. Class is over." McGonagall stood at the door, a crowd of wide-eyed sixth years surrounding her. They were too astonished by the duel to make a sound or move away when the bell rang out.

Maya's eyes flashed with anger and hurt that she would never voice out loud. She stalked past him, pulling the dagger free from the wall, instantly turning it back into her wand as she left the room.

Severus stood there catching his breath and wondering what the hell had just happened. As usual his mind and body were warring over whether to kiss the witch or kill her, and he was becoming ever more uncertain of which instinct was going to prevail.

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

Maya and Tonks walked down Hogsmeade's Main Street, cloaks pulled tight around their shoulders and hoods up as snowflakes swirled in the chilled October wind. Laughing students walked the street with bags of sweets and paper cups of tea and cocoa, while their more adventurous patrol schoolmates tossed snowballs at each other. Tonks caught a stray snowball that just missed her face deftly in one hand. "Oi! You lot, keep it off the street!" The student, a Ravenclaw quidditch player Maya recognized from the halls, took one look at Tonks' Magenta Auror's robes and gulped.

"Yes, Sir. I mean Ma'am!" He and his mates took off over the next hill where pedestrians would be well out of the line of fire. The seasoned professors had warned Maya that the first Hogsmeade weekend could be nerve-wracking. Only an hour ago Tonks had to stop Harry Potter from attacking Mundungus Fletcher in the middle of the street. Sometimes Maya understood Severus' lack of enthusiasm for the teenagers and their raging hormones, always ready to fight or snog at a moment's notice. Then again, she could use a decent snog herself. Maya shook her head. Going down that line of fantasy would get her nowhere. "Feel like heading down to the Three Broomsticks for a pint?"

"Alright, my feet could use a warm up." The two women had just quickened their pace in the direction of the pub when an ear-splitting scream rang out from the direction of the path that lead up to the school. "What the devil?"

Dawlish and Proudfoot came running from the direction of the shrieking shack. "Did you hear that?" Proudfoot said, out of breath.

"Yes, it sounded like it came from up the path, but on the outskirts of the village. You and Dawlish take over here on Main Street. Ravenhill and I will go investigate. I'll send word when I find out what's happened." Dawlish and Proudfoot both nodded and turned to find a vantage point where they could see the whole street.

The snow started to pick up as they reached the edge of town. Maya could see the massive figure of Hagrid and a handful of older students. As they got closer, they could see that Hagrid was carrying a someone. A Gryffindor by the name of Katie Bell lay unconscious and limp in his arms.

"Hagrid, what happened?" Tonks called over the wind.

"Looks like she's been cursed, summat in that package Potter has over there. I told em' to make sure they don't touch it, hold it only by the wrappin's."

"Good thinking Hagrid," Maya said.

"We had all just come out of the Three Broomsticks and were on our way back to school when Katie cried out," Hermione said, her voice brittle with fear.

Tonks touched her wand to the badge on the chest of her cloak and spoke, "Dawlish, we have an emergency here. You and Proudfoot take over in the village. Go investigate the Three Broomsticks, look for anything or anyone that looks suspicious. Ravenhill and I have to take an injured student up to the castle." Tonks ordered. "You lot" she said, pointing to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "You better come with us. Bring that package but mind Hagrid's warning, don't touch what's on the inside. Be sure to keep your gloves on!"

Tonks and Maya escorted Hagrid with Katie up to the castle going straight to the hospital wing. Tonks sent her wolf patronus to Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape alerting them to the emergency.

"Harry, go straight to McGonagall with that package. I've already told her you're on your way so no fannying around!" Tonks shouted after the teens.

Once Katie was deposited in the hospital wing, Maya and Tonks made their way to Dumbledore's office. When they entered the warm office, Snape was examining a necklace that had been in the package. He prodded at it carefully with his wand; it's brilliantly polished opals looking odd in the tarnished setting.

"Were you able to find out anything?" Maya asked.

"Very little. The curse is certainly a rare bit of dark magic and the necklace looks familiar but I can't place where I've seen it before," Snape answered looking down at her from the corner of his eye.

A brisk knock at the office door announced Minerva McGonagall's arrival. She entered the room looking worried and worn. "Poppy has sent word to St. Mungo's. She's done all she can. Katie will be moved as soon as they arrive."

Dumbledore sighed from behind his desk. "Thank you for the update Minerva."

"You should also know that Potter seemed to have some idea that Mr. Malfoy was behind this attack. I assured him that it was impossible, Malfoy was with me all evening but he seems convinced," Minerva said tersely. Maya caught the quick glance between Severus and Dumbledore.

"Minerva, please let the other professors know that we will be having a staff meeting tonight and all are required to attend," Dumbledore said gravely.

"Of course, Albus. I'll leave you to it then. Good night Miss Ladon, Tonks," Minerva said.

"Good night Professor," they answered in unison.

"Right, well I better head back and give Dawlish and Proudfoot a hand, see if we can turn up anything to give us an idea of who was behind this," Tonks said.

"Thank you Ms. Tonks. Your help and that of the Aurors has been invaluable."

"Glad to help sir," Tonks said, leaving the office.

As soon as the office door was closed, Maya turned her attention to the two wizards. "Alright you two, what's this about Mr. Malfoy being involved?" Maya was determined to get the truth.

"Yes, it is true that Mr. Malfoy is the likely culprit behind this unfortunate incident," Dumbledore said.

"And you two didn't think to tell me?" Maya said indignantly. "You have me and a team of Aurors running ragged patrolling both the castle and the village. I've been up for almost seventy-two hours and neither one of you saw fit to tell me that the real danger is right here in the castle?" She turned to Severus. "You ruddy bastard! You knew the whole time and said nothing."

"It is not my job -" Snape began heatedly, but was cut off by a raised hand from Dumbledore.

"You are right, Ms. Ladon, I do apologize. We should have shared our suspicions about Mr. Malfoy with you. I assure you that Severus is on top of the situation."

Maya shot Severus a dark look. "Obviously." He scowled at her in return. "Why? Why would Draco Malfoy be trying to harm other students?" she asked.

"I think perhaps we underestimated Mr. Malfoy's level of determination and ingenuity, Severus." Dumbledore examined the necklace with his wand, purposely avoiding Maya's question.

"I'd say. That curse is a pretty nasty piece of work. Katie Bell is lucky to be alive," Maya said. "And how do we keep him from killing any other students while Severus is _handling_ it?"

"You keep to the village and the school and leave Mr. Malfoy to me," Severus spat.

"I was under the impression that the safety of the students and professors _were_ my responsibility," she snapped.

Dumbledore attempted to stop the argument before it got off the ground. "Yes, yes. Ms. Ladon is correct, Severus. We were wrong to keep this from her. I assure you Maya, Severus will keep you informed of any new information that he learns concerning Mr. Malfoy." Severus grudgingly nodded his assent.

"Right well, I better get back and give Tonks a hand. I'll see you both at the staff meeting," Maya said tiredly.

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Dumbledore stood at the head of the long table in the staff lounge. The clock chimed eight as the Headmaster called the meeting to order. "As many of you may be aware, Seventh year Gryffindor student Katie Bell was injured today during the Hogsmeade trip. It appears she was passed a packaged in the Three Broomsticks that contained an object cursed with Dark Magic. It is unclear at this time who is behind this tragic incident or if Ms. Bell was the intended target."

Around the table, the professors' faces held serious concerned expressions.

"I foretold that someone would be in grave danger," moaned Sybill Trelawney from a seat at the far end of the table.

Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies professor, quickly shushed Sybill with a hand to her arm. "There, there, Sybill. Everything will be fine. You'll see."

"Good heavens Dumbledore! What is being done to find this attacker?" Slughorn boomed from his seat across from Maya. "I only signed on this year because I was assured it would be safe!" He turned and gave Maya a dark look, making it clear that he thought the danger was due to her incompetence as security officer.

Maya held his gaze daring him to give voice to his thoughts, but then looked towards Dumbledore from her seat a few chairs down the table. She was rather curious what was being done about the situation herself since neither Dumbledore or Snape had bothered to let her in on that part of their plot.

"Miss Ravenhill and the Aurors will be increasing their patrols, and a thorough search of the Three Broomsticks and the village has already occurred. In addition, Hogsmeade weekends will be suspended until we are able to clear this matter up. Starting tonight, we will be asking _all_ students to adhere to the eight o'clock curfew. Mr. Filtch was notified earlier and he and the Aurors are currently in the process of making rounds of the castle and ushering all students back to their dormitories."

"But Dumbledore, you can't possibly think that it could be someone inside the castle, do you? No teacher or student would-" exclaimed the ghost, Professor Bins, as he floated a few inches above his seat.

"We can take nothing for granted," Dumbledore said. "I fear caution is our best answer to ensure the students and staff are all safe."

"How is Miss Bell, Headmaster? Will she recover?" asked Professor Sinistra.

"She has been moved to St. Mungo's for more intensive treatment. They are certain that she will recover, though how long or difficult it will be remains to be seen."

The quiet in the room reflected the concern and fear that all of the staff had for Katie and the rest of their students. "If there are no other questions, I suggest we adjourn and assist the Aurors in making sure all students find their way to their common rooms. Heads of Houses, I ask that you meet with your students to let them know what has happened. I find it best to avoid panic by giving them the correct information instead of hearing a fantasized version in the great hall."

Maya rubbed at her temples; it looked like it was going to be another long night. It had already been forty-eight hours of preparation for the Hogsmeade weekend and long patrols on the lookout for more attacks on the wards. She stood slowly. Maybe a strong cup of tea would help give her a boost. A gathering of teachers stood talking just on the edge of the buffet and Maya couldn't help overhearing the conversation as she poured her tea.

"It was certainly lucky that Mr. Potter and his friends were coming along just as it happened, finding that necklace when they did. By the way, Minerva, I must thank you for encouraging young Potter to take my NEWT potions class!" exclaimed Slughorn.

"Yes, well he did wish to become an Auror and a NEWT in potions is a requirement," McGonagall said simply.

"He has truly excelled this year. He must get it from his mother. Lily Evans and Severus were my very best potions students and in the same year no less," Slughorn bragged.

Maya who had been standing right behind Slughorn and McGonagall, sighed in frustration. "If I have to hear one more time about how bloody perfect Lily sodding Potter was someone is getting hexed!" she hissed under her breath as she slammed her cup back on the buffet and stormed from the room.

"What on earth could have gotten into Miss Ravenhill?" Slughorn said in confusion. McGonagall looked up, spotting Severus speaking with Professor Sinistra a few feet away. She gave him a meaningful look then left the room herself.

Severus was astonished by Maya's comment. He felt the familiar tightening in his chest and then the burn of anger anytime someone mentioned Lily's name. He had become accustomed to hearing people talk about Lily since Potter started attending Hogwarts but it was never easy for him. As he made his way back down to the dungeons his anger cooled and his thoughts turned to Maya. He considered her words for the first time. Why would she be angry at Lily? Why would she care about Lily at all? She hadn't even known her. He paused mid-stride, as her words at Spinner's End came back to him. She had known about Lily then, had known about his nightmares at least on some level. He had been so thrown off and angry that he never stopped to think about how she knew or why she was upset by it. Could his feelings for Lily be why she was so angry that day? He had assumed she was angry over the way he had treated her, and he was sure that was at least partially true, but was something else?

He had never factored into it that she might actually have true feelings for him. Yes, there was Dumbledore and all of his meddling. That's all it was, meddling. Physically they were extremely compatible, but he had never considered – he shook himself. None of that mattered now. He had ended it and for good reason. They were barely speaking. He walked briskly down the hall, and then paused again, deciding that he would make a stop in his office first. His Slytherins could wait a few more minutes.

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Maya all but dragged herself back to her room, exhausted and worn out from over three days of patrolling without sleep. After leaving the staff meeting she had helped the school staff search the castle and move along stray students to their common rooms. Once the school was secure she had returned to Hogsmeade to help the Auror team complete a search of the Three Broomsticks and the surrounding area. The Death Eaters testing the security wards, patrolling the Hogsmeade weekend, Katie Bell being seriously injured, and finding out that the biggest danger is right here in the castle, and neither Severus nor Dumbledore had bothered to tell her about Malfoy.

The past few weeks were a blur and she was running on empty. Maya made her way through the lounge, toeing off her boots as she came into the dark room. She only had three hours until her next patrol with Tonks.

Maya froze. A cool blue glow drew her attention to the far end of the room. The glistening potion had not been there on the bedside table when she was last in the room. Her first thought was of Tonks, but Tonks hated potions. If she had thought to buy Maya a potion it would have come from the apothecary in town. This was definitely home brewed and bottled. Maya broke the bee's wax that sealed the cork and eased it from the end of the bottle, giving the potion within a cautious sniff. It smelled vaguely familiar. She carefully touched one finger to the top of the bottle and tasted. The instant sensation of drinking from an icy mountain stream flooded her body. Suddenly she felt refreshed, as if she had just awoken from a power nap. The potion was an invigorating draft, but she could also taste a hint of spice. Someone had added just a pinch of red pepper for kick. Maya had only seen one potion master add that particular ingredient - Severus.

But why would he do it? Maya was too tired to think about why he would do such a thing when he was hardly speaking to her, or how he managed to get through the wards that she and Tonks had placed on the flat. She quickly placed the potion back on the table. She would use it after her nap. She tossed her clothes on a nearby chair and climbed under the covers for as much sleep as she could get before her shift started.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Green is the Colour***

* Green is the Colour, (1969). Soundtrack from the film More, Roger Waters - writer, performed by Pink Floyd.

The last of the leaves had fallen and the Halloween Feast had come and gone. In just a few weeks the students would be boarding the train for the Christmas Holiday. The Scottish weather had turned damp and cold making patrols on the grounds and in Hogsmeade bone chilling. Thankfully they hadn't had more snow to make patrolling harsher than it already was. At least in the castle you were likely to pass a fireplace from time to time. Maya had seen Severus several times since the attack on Katie Bell, but he had taken to ignoring her completely, saving her the experience of feeling his icy glares.

When Maya and Tonks weren't patrolling in Hogwarts or Hogsmeade they were working undercover for the Order in a seedy pub called The Hangman in Knockturn Alley. The Order had received information that the Death Eater Grady was using the pub to meet and pass information to the American Connell. Tonks and Maya posed as barmaids hoping to find out anything about the information they may be passing to Voldemort.

Tonks stood behind the bar wiping a highball glass with a moderately clean towel. Her ability to change her appearance had not returned. By Halloween she had started resorting to hair dying potions. Today she had actually used polyjuice potion and a hair from a muggle woman that was sitting next to her on the tube last week to change her appearance. The stranger's chocolate eyes and gaunt features looked across at Maya. Maya tried to give an encouraging smile to her friend but her own transformed facial features with the dirty blond hair and hazel eyes just made the gesture feel false.

"Heads up, Moneypenny," Tonks whispered from her place at the bar.

Maya could hear the tinkling of bells as someone came through the door. She turned her head to see a swirl of a black cloak and platinum blonde hair. Her heart sank to her feet. The two men made their way to a corner table. Maya carried a tray of dirty glasses over to the bar.

"You gonna be okay?" Tonks asked, a look of commiseration on her face.

"I'll be alright. Maybe he won't recognize me anyway," she answered with a sigh.

"You want me to take the table and you can take the bar until they leave?"

"Nah, I got it." Maya frowned as she emptied the glasses from her tray. She didn't feel like seeing Snape tonight and certainly not the smug arrogant side of him that would be on display for Malfoy. And with this disguise she knew he would recognize her right away. Severus wasn't a regular customer at the dirty little pub or she would have chosen a different disguise. The eyes were different but the face was identical to the one she wore on her visit to Spinner's End. As soon as he took a good look at her the game would be up. She took a deep breath and tightened the strings of her apron, steeling herself for the inevitable. She made her way over to the table where the two men sat, one fair and one dark.

"What can I get you gents?" She kept her eyes down hoping he wouldn't recognize her and they could have their drinks and be gone. Maya could feel Lucius' eyes roaming the corset top to her robes.

"That depends doesn't it Severus? But let's start with two Fire Whiskies, top shelf." Malfoy's oily voice oozed as he made only a halfhearted effort to look her in the eye, his eyes skimmed across the bodice of her dress. Maya could hear Severus' non-committal humph but didn't dare look at him.

"Right, two Fire Whiskies. Anything else?" she asked, eager to get this over with and get them out of the pub.

"I'm sure we can think of something, but just the drinks for now," Malfoy said.

Maya's pause was barely perceptible as she felt the blond wizard's hand caress her backside. "Right then, I'll be back with your drinks." She quickly stepped away before he could get a better hold on her. Maya crossed the short distance to the bar and filled two glasses with the most expensive Fire Whiskey the pub carried and placed the glasses on the filthy tray.

When she got back to the small corner table she could feel Malfoy's eyes on her. Severus it seemed was content to ignore her. She risked a glance in his direction and noticed that he was focused on a piece of parchment in his hands. 'Good. Maybe he's not in the mood to be interested in Malfoy's hints,' she thought.

Maya placed a glass in front of each man. "Anything else I can get you?" And there it was, she could feel his eyes on her. She looked up to see Severus' dark eyes gazing at her, taking in the corset top to her robes and the view it gave him. It seemed to take an eternity for his eyes to drag themselves to her face. For a second, she saw disbelief flit across their depths, and then his face and eyes went blank.

Malfoy saw the Snape's brief expression but misread it completely. "Tempting, isn't she?" Malfoy said as he watched Snape take in her figure.

There was a long pause and Maya was shocked to realize she wanted to know what Snape was going to say as much as Malfoy did.

"Perhaps," Snape said in a bored voice, returning his eyes to his parchment. "A trifle plain and overused though, Lucius. I really don't think it's worth the effort."

Forget her wand. Maya wanted nothing more than to punch him in his overly long nose! The bleeding might just make her feel a little better. She knew his words were meant to be hurtful as well as maintain his cover with Malfoy, but... She felt magic crackle around her and took a breath, clenching a fist and letting it go to calm her anger.

"Nonsense Snape! You set your standards way too high. A witch doesn't have to be marriage material to be worth having a little fun."

Snape gave a haughty huff. "Marriage? Don't be ridiculous. Look at her. She's practically a squib. Why else would she be working in a place like this?"

"I'll have you know there's nothing wrong with my _magic_ ," Maya said defensively. She had to be careful. She couldn't blow her cover and knew Snape was deliberately provoking her. Well, two could play at that game.

Maya knew it was a reckless move when she stepped behind Malfoy's chair. She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a light squeeze as she bent down. "Your friend's not very nice is he, lover?" she whispered in his ear. She could feel the wizard's pulse jump.

"Now Severus, be polite," Lucius said, but his face and eyes were turned, trying to see Maya behind his shoulder. Snape stayed silent.

She straightened and ran a hand through the loose strands of his long blond hair. Maya raked her nails across his scalp as she made another pass through his hair and took a strip of leather that had fastened Snape's parchment from the table. She slowly gathered the long strands of platinum hair at the base of his neck and secured it with the strip of leather. She could feel Lucius sigh and knew he was enjoying the attention. She risked a glance at Tonks who was doing a fair job of hiding the revulsion on her face, but not completely.

Pleased with his reaction so far, Maya was very aware that she had to stay one step ahead of this situation. Lucius Malfoy was not a wizard you could let your guard down around. No matter how angry she was at Snape, she had to stay on her toes. Lucius was a killer. She took a step back putting some space between herself and Malfoy. "Maybe you have enough manners for the both of you," she said smoothly. "Why don't I get you another drink?"

Snape's parchment had been left forgotten on the table and Maya could see it was the schematic for what looked like a wardrobe. 'What on earth would Voldemort want with a piece of furniture?' she thought but didn't have time to take in more. She made to move back towards the bar but Lucius reached out, taking her arm and pulling her back to the table. He pawed at her, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her into his lap. The evidence of how much he enjoyed her attention was unmistakable as she landed roughly in his lap.

Severus was silent, eyes riveted to the sight of the _serving girl_ sitting in Lucius' lap, his jaw clenched painfully as Lucius made no effort to hide his roaming hands. Severus had managed to ignore Maya since their duel. He had told himself that she was an insufferable nuisance, but in truth he didn't trust himself to speak with her or be close to her; their duel had convinced him he needed to keep his distance. It was becoming difficult to ignore Lucius' lascivious behavior though and he clenched his fists under the table in an effort to keep from throttling his oldest friend.

Maya was sure to keep an eye on the walking stick that contained the wizard's wand. She was an equal match for him if she got a chance to use magic but physically he could easily overpower her.

The jingle of the front door alerted them to a seedy looking wizard in ratty robes, caked in soot and ash. "Sorry, love. I don't have time for that kind of fun tonight. Customers you know, but maybe tomorrow, eh?" Maya welcomed the interruption of the filthy wizard. Malfoy's touch gave her the creeps.

"Let your friend over there deal with him." Malfoy took in the scent of her hair behind her ear. Maya could feel the warmth of his breath on her neck and she fought the urge to cringe.

"I would but the owner's pretty sure she pinches from the till. I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on her. He'll have my hide if we're short tonight." Maya stood, smoothing her apron.

"Lucius, don't you think it's time we were going anyway? We have somewhere to be and I would not suggest we be late," Snape said. His voice was calm but his jaw was set and his well-known scowl left a deep crease on his brow.

'Serves him right,' Maya thought.

"Yes, I suppose you're right, Severus." Lucius sounded disappointed. "It is a pity though. I think you would have been worth the distraction." He tipped her chin up with one long, icy finger and placed a cold kiss to her neck. When he was finished he reached in a pocket of his robes and pulled out several galleons, far more than the cost of the two drinks, and left them on the table.

"Maybe I'll be here when you come back," Maya said with a smile, turning to make her way over to the table where the new patron sat.

As the two wizards were moving to the door, Maya caught Severus' eye and winked. He turned quickly and followed Malfoy out the door, black robes billowing out behind him.

"Good," she muttered as she took the new wizard's order and walked to the bar to get his drink. 'Let him be mad. Let him stew in it.'

Tonks stood at the bar, mouth open. When she recovered she hissed, "What was that all about? Why in the name of Merlin's baggy Y-fronts would you flirt with Lucius Malfoy? If I could change my hair right now it would be the color of sick!"

"I know. I know, Tonks!" Maya said regretfully. "He just really knows how to push my buttons."

"Lucius?"

"No, not Lucius!" Maya hissed.

"Oh, Snape. Yeah, he's pretty good at that. Do you think it worked?

"Do I think what worked?"

"Making him jealous, of course?"

"I wasn't -" Maya stopped realizing that, yes that was exactly what she had been trying to do. "Guess it was pretty obvious, huh?"

"Uhm, yeah. Unless you enjoy cozying up to Death Eaters?"

"No, I don't think he was jealous at all. Angry yes, pretty sure he hates me at this point, but jealous? No, about as far from it as you can get actually."

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The night sky was thick with clouds that shrouded the moon and the air was crisp with the smell of impending snow. The lone figure crossed the inky blackness of the school grounds by memory on a steady and unwavering course to the hidden entrance that lead into the dungeons. Severus shed his cloak, throwing it over the back of his desk chair as he went by. He moved with a sense of urgency as he made his way through the dimly lit corridors of the school. Curfew had only been an hour ago, but most of the school's inhabitants were preparing to return home for the Christmas holiday as tomorrow was the last night of the term. Severus took the stairs to Dumbledore's office two at a time and gave the office door three brisk knocks.

"Severus, my boy, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore sat in an armchair, slippered feet propped on an ottoman as he sipped spiced mead from a goblet. "Just warming my feet. Come in and sit a spell."

Snape entered the headmaster's small parlor with a sigh. It had been a long day of teaching and his head ached from the exertion needed to maintain occlumency for the past several hours with the Dark Lord. A task that was only made more difficult by the persistent images of Maya Ladon dressed in a corset that continued to invade his mind. He sat in the chair facing Dumbledore, taking a moment to rest his head on the back of the chair.

"Can I offer you a headache potion?"

"No, what I need is sleep and some peace and quiet during the holiday but neither of those are very likely."

"What brings you by so late? I assume your absence at dinner was because your other duties kept you occupied?"

"Yes, I thought you might want to know right away. There have been some … developments. The American, Connell, has been recruited to procure an artifact for the Dark Lord. A wand, a very old wand. I believe the exorbitant procurement fee will be coming out of Malfoy's vault. The Dark Lord spent a great deal of time tonight questioning certain followers about precious objects he left in their care for safe keeping before his disappearance. Bella has managed to hold on to something, I have no idea what or where it is. But Lucius had to make excuses for losing the diary. The Dark Lord does not appreciate excuses. He was furious about losing the diary, especially for such a frivolous reason."

"I trust that Voldemort has never entrusted you with any objects or artifacts?"

Severus eyed the old wizard shrewdly. "No."

Dumbledore changed the subject. "So Lucius Malfoy's punishment continues."

It was foolish to press the headmaster for more details. "Ridicule is more like it. It was advantageous for Connell though. The Dark Lord is not known for paying or bargaining for what he wants. Usually he just kills you or tortures you until you hand it over, but Malfoy was there for the abusing and Connell came with interesting information to sweeten the transaction."

"What information was this?" Dumbledore's brow creased, concern showing in his pale blue eyes.

"Connell managed to fill in the blanks that Grady couldn't in the search for the Dragon. It seems that David Putnam felt Sturbridge's death was a little too similar to the Dragon's attacks last year. Ladon has been named as a highly probable suspect for the Black Dragon. Many still doubt she is alive and no one seems to suspect that she has returned here. But if the Dark Lord goes sniffing around in America he _will_ find someone that remembers seeing her."

"It seems I may have been foolhardy in allowing her to return to America last spring. I fear I have placed her in even more danger, Esmerelda as well."

"No more danger than she put herself in with that ridiculous vendetta."

"You know more than anyone that she had her reasons."

"Nevertheless, it was still foolish. Her risks are going to get her killed."

"Severus-"

"No!"

"You don't know what I'm going to ask."

"I don't need to! Given the current topic of conversation, I can guess and the answer is no!"

"I am very busy right now, Severus." Dumbledore put his goblet down on the table and waited until Severus looked him in the eye. "I need to prepare to travel over the upcoming holiday-."

"And you're not going to tell me why, are you? Or where you're off to? Or why the Dark Lord is hunting relics and other objects that he entrusted to his followers?"

"I need you to meet with her, Severus, to warn her of the danger." Dumbledore sidestepped his questions completely only frustrating Severus more. "You must stress the importance of her keeping her identity secret. No one must know she has returned to England."

"What makes you think she'll listen to me?"

"I'm sure you can find a way to persuade her." Dumbledore's coy smile was as irritating as his evasiveness.

"You do remember that just before Halloween she threw a dagger at my head?"

"My boy that was during a duel, I'd hardly say that counts."

Severus scowled at the headmaster. Dumbledore was not going to give him a way out. He had seen the checkmate coming and could do nothing to block it!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Gravity***

 *** Gravity, (2013). Reflection. Hooverphonic, Lyrics by Alex Callier.**

A late December storm had blown up and rain that would soon turn to snow was coming down in sheets. Rain and wind beat against Severus' face as he left the castle. He was angry with Dumbledore for sending him on such an errand. His bleak mood had begun at breakfast when Slughorn cornered him, pressuring him to attend his Slug Club Christmas party. The old goat would not take no for an answer. An evening of boasting and bragging was not on his list of ways to find peace and quiet over the holiday, but Snape could find no way of skiving off without insulting his former mentor.

His constant frustration with his failed attempts to discover the details of his little snake's plot was ever present in his mind as well. He was sure it was Draco's botched attempt to kill Dumbledore that had injured the Gryffindor girl Katie Bell during the first Hogsmeade weekend back in October. Lucius had shown him the schematics for the vanishing cabinet, but Severus couldn't figure out how it fit into Draco's plans. How did the sloppy attack on the Gryffindor fit into the sophisticated plan for repairing the vanishing cabinet? Assuming the boy managed to get the cabinet to work at all of course. Severus' larger fear was that the boy had no plan at all and was merely acting at random which would make it that much harder to prevent innocent students from being injured.

And now Dumbledore was sending him to deliver messages to the Dragon. He could understand the need to warn her, but anyone could go and fetch the witch. He had spoken his feelings on the matter extensively whenever Dumbledore attempted to meddle, pushing him to make amends with her. He was sure that this was another attempt. He grimaced again as another gust of freezing wind pounded him with ice-cold rain and snow. "Bloody Scottish weather," Snape grumbled and pulled the heavy cloak tighter against himself as he made his way to the apparition point as quickly as possible.

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The juke box was far too loud even for Maya's love of muggle music. Why did she agree to let Charlie Weasley take her out again? The redhead moved towards their table with two pints of ale. The drinking was probably a bad idea but her mood had been as dark as Tonks' for the past several months, which was probably why she had finally accepted Charlie's offer for drinks.

Charlie Weasley had returned from Romania at the beginning of December to spend Christmas with his family. When he ran into Maya at an Order meeting his first night back he had been eager to renew their friendship from the year before. He had been attempting to persuade her to go out with him ever since. His brothers and fellow Order members tried warn the persistent wizard off; insisting that regardless of the frosty silence between Maya and the potions master, there was unfinished business between the two. Their warnings did little to discourage the young man, however.

The thought of Severus made Maya frown. She could actually feel the crease in her forehead deepening and her hand went absently to the pendant at her neck. She had no idea why she still wore it. It had been five months now since he had thrown her out of the house at Spinner's End and she still could not figure him out. When he had returned to the school for the start of term, Maya had thought he might try to talk to her or at least try to find a way to work together civilly. But there had been nothing but snideness and sparks between them since August.

As Maya sat absorbed in her thoughts, the dragon tamer swaggered back to the table with pints of ale in his hands. "Here we go, one pint of bitter," Charlie said with a smile.

'He does have a beautiful smile,' Maya thought, taking the pint from his strong hands. "Thanks, Charlie." She smiled back.

"What made you think of this place?" He looked around the pub Maya had chosen deep in muggle Edinburgh.

Maya had many reasons for choosing a muggle pub including - Dumbledore's continued requests that she stay out of sight - but her primary reason was that it was far from Hogwarts and Severus. "I've been spending a lot of time in Hogsmeade with guard duty and here I don't have to change my face." She chuckled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"That's a good enough reason for me. It's a pretty face, shame to be changing it all the time," he said, flashing her that charming smile again. "You fancy a go?" He tipped his head toward the dance floor. Pairs of muggle couples were happily moving together on the dance floor enjoying the 80's theme night as music from Billy Idol, Duran Duran, and David Bowie blasted through the speakers.

"Oh I don't think so."

"Come on. It'll cheer you up." He stood and all but pulled her from her chair.

"Charlie, I don't much feel like dancing," but his enthusiasm made her erupt into laughter. She was laughing, really laughing for the first time in months. A part of her was very flattered by the attention. "Okay, okay… keep your hair on. I'm coming," she laughed, following him out to the dance floor.

The first several dances were fast and fun, allowing Maya to take her mind off her non-existent love life and the war. Then the music turned slow and sweet. Without really thinking about it she stepped into Charlie's arms and allowed him to lead the slow dance. The song wasn't heated or seductive but full of lyrics about eternal love and being there till the end and if she had bothered to pay attention she might have been sick from the gooiness of it all.

Maya felt the younger man's arms tighten around her, holding her to him. His stocky frame was strong and she could feel the muscles in his arms move delightfully under her hands as they held each other. Muscles honed from years of quidditch and working with dragons. They moved through the crowd of other dancers slowly making their way to the back of the crowd and as the song ended Maya noticed that they were near the entrance to a back hallway that led outside. When he took her hand, Maya allowed herself to be lead out the door and into the night. The air was crisp on her cheeks and felt refreshing, clearing her mind from the heat and noise.

"Thought a bit of air might be a good idea. Look it's stopped raining," Charlie said.

"It was," she agreed leaning her back against the cool brick wall of the club. "It was getting a little crowded in there."

"Private is definitely a plus as well." He moved closer to her, resting his weight on a hand near her shoulder, his other hand going to her waist.

"Depends I guess." She wasn't going to make it easy for him.

"On what?" he asked softly, leaning in so that his face was so close she could feel his warm breath on her lips and smell the fresh sent of soap on his skin.

Maya felt his warm lips against hers, rugged stubble rough against her cheek. She returned the kiss tentatively unsure how far she was willing to let him go. But then she felt the younger man go riged. Why wasn't he kissing her back? Her eyes flew open to see fear in Charlie's coffee colored eyes. Using the stocky wizard's body to block her movements, Maya wrapped her hand around the wand in her back pocket.

"Think very carefully about what you are about to do Weasley. This particular Dragon is a little much even for you," threatened a very familiar velvety voice.

Severus had used the charm he placed on the cufflinks and her pendant to trace her as far as muggle Edinburgh. He had scowled when the charm had led him into the pub with the blaring music. When he had seen her, looking every bit like herself, dancing with Charles Weasley, the sight of her had stopped him cold and he had to force himself to breathe. And then shock had turned to rage. Reckless, foolish woman! And Weasley? Weasley had been his student, 'arrogant cheeky quidditch playing-.' He made the decision to follow them. When he came through the door out into the alleyway, his first sight was of Weasley, hands on the move, leaning in. Something inside him ignited like dry kindling on a hot day. It was like he was sixteen again, watching James Potter paw at Lily like some animal.

"You've gotta be bloody kidding me," Maya shouted, her adrenaline moved her from caution to outrage in an instant. As she shifted behind the shield of Charlie's muscular body, she could see an all too familiar ebony wand pressed tightly to the young wizard's neck. Her eyes followed the wand and caught sight of Severus in the shadows of some crates stacked against the wall.

"Professor Snape… I …I didn't know… We… It was just drinks," Charlie sputtered.

"Don't you dare try to justify anything to him, Charlie!"

"Easy for you to say," he grimaced as Severus' wand dug deeper. "I thought you said you weren't seeing anyone?"

"I'm not." She fumed and moved around Charlie, swatting away Severus' wand in the process. As she did Charlie quickly stepped away rubbing the back of his neck.

"Great wizard you are Weasley. Run off to save your own hide," Severus mocked the younger man. He couldn't help it. He was having difficulty remembering if he was seventeen or thirty-seven.

"Severus, what the hell do you think you're doing? Why are you spying on me? Don't you have enough to keep you busy? What right do you have saying who I go out with anyhow?" she shouted, drawing the attention of a muggle couple walking to their car.

"Ladon, lower your voice, daft witch," Severus hissed, casting a nonverbal muffliato spell to keep the conversation from being heard by any other bystanders.

Maya fumed and pulled herself up to her full height; combined with the fire in her blue eyes she gave the impression of being much taller than five foot five. "Don't you 'daft witch', me you stubborn miserable git! You broke it off - not me! Did you think I was going to stay at home like some old maid? I'll see who I want, when I want and you'd better deal with it or sod off!" She poked him in his chest with a slender index finger to emphasize each sentence as she railed at him.

Charlie was stunned. No one talked to Snape that way, no one. And the potions master was just standing there taking it. Well, at least he wasn't hexing her to pieces. As Maya advanced on Severus, he backed away until he made contact with the wall on the other side of the narrow alley.

Maya had had enough of his brooding and snarky comments. Then to threaten her date? Snape stood with his back against the wall, dark eyes boring into her and said nothing.

"You're lucky I don't blast you into a million pieces myself, skulking around in shadows, following me around on dates. What are you thinking? You can't tell me I'm needy and pathetic one minute and then follow me around like a jealous boyfriend the next. Severus, make up your mind!"

"What was I thinking?" he finally spoke. "I certainly wasn't thinking you'd slag off with the first wizard of age you came across!"

"Slag? You've a lot of nerve, calling me a slag. Who was it that thought I was Bellatrix last fall? Hmm…I'm sure she'd give you some of her attention. Or what about Lily?" she shot back at him.

Charlie Weasley had suddenly decided that he truly did not want to witness this argument. At the same time he wasn't sure leaving Maya with an angry and obviously jealous Snape was such a good idea either.

"What do you know about - I told you not to ever talk about -" Severus sputtered, pushing off the wall and advancing on her. A vision of his father cornering his mother in a similar fashion flashed in his mind and he quickly turned his back to her, curling his hands into fists in an attempt to control his fury.

In that moment it was like she could read his thoughts. "You are not your father, Severus."

"Don't be ridiculous!" he hissed, rounding on her again but she cut him off.

"You have to let yourself feel something, anything, or you will truly be lost, then they win, your father, Voldemort, Potter! Let yourself feel something other then pain for once in your life. If it's hate, then so be it. Hate me, just be honest. Don't let it be sixteen years later and be calling out my name while you sleep next to another woman."

Severus blanched at her comment. What a fool he'd been.

"Severus, why are you here?" Maya's voice was hard and accusing, echoing off the walls of the alley into the silence that stretched between them.

Without warning Severus grabbed her shoulders, crushing her against him. He searched her eyes as if looking for answers in their clear blue depths. And then he was capturing her lips in a scorching kiss. The force of it shook her and she was sure that time had stopped. She wanted to push him away. She was still angry, but his hands were in her hair and on her face and it was intoxicating. She could feel a million things at once but the only thing she could concentrate on was the feel of his lips on hers, firm and unyielding.

"Well look at the time. Since it looks like you have a way home, I think I'll be going," Charlie said, feeling completely uncomfortable and a little squeamish. But Maya and Severus heard nothing. They spun, still locked in each other's embrace, and disappeared with a quiet pop.

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The next several moments were a frenzy of arms and clothing. Cloak, blouse, frock coat and white shirt were all cast in different directions. Maya had the sense of mind to notice they were in a single room though it didn't look like any inn she knew from Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. Moonlight shown through the single window illuminating the peaks of rundown neighboring houses and a large smoke stack dominated the landscape. Maya realized they were in the small bedroom at Spinner's End. The next thing she knew his lips were at her neck and she could think of little else. All she cared about was that he was finally with her. She could feel his warm skin under her fingers, his heartbeat strong and steady beneath her hand. His hands were at her waist then dipping below the band of her muggle jeans as he kissed her. She caught sight of the small bed in the corner and gave him a small nudge.

In his hazy mind he misunderstood. Was she was finally coming to her senses and pushing him away? Then he caught sight of the bed and realized that she was following him. He kissed her again, gathering her up in his arms and depositing her on the bed. Jeans and trousers joined the other scattered clothing around the room and the two found comfort and solace in each other. Severus had the realization that although they may always have some struggle for dominance in their relationship, he was more than willing to submit to this beautiful creature. He might fight for her and certainly with her but he would not choose to leave her again.

Maya struggled to catch her breath as her body responded to his touch. In an effort to pace herself and her breathing she allowed her eyes to open only to see his Onyx ones staring back at her with more emotion then she had ever seen there before. She saw fear there but also desire and…love? The sight undid her completely and she closed the distance to meet his lips with hers.

Their lips separated for only a second, breathless, lungs burning for air. "I have wanted you since the day you walked into Albus' office," he said.

She kissed him again, heart feeling things she thought she could no longer feel. "Severus - I love you," she muttered between kisses.

At the sound of his name on her lips he could not help but quicken their pace drawing his name from her lips over and over. His only thought was that heaven could not be as beautiful as this moment.

As they reached their peak, his left hand grazed her right hip. A burning pain ignited at the sight and flared through the identical marks that they shared.

"Did you feel that -" she said still attempting to catch her breath as the blissful cascading sensations washed through her body.

"Yes," he said, not waiting for her to finish before kissing her soundly. He rolled to his side, taking her with him, securing the shabby blankets around them to block the chill.

"Somehow I don't think even you can take credit for that," she trailed off still out of breath.

"Funny. I don't know. I must think on it and right now I'm too drained to think," he said kissing her forehead. "Right now we both need sleep." He waved a hand in the direction of the bedside candle plunging them into dim moonlight.

Severus woke at dawn and watched her sleep as the light from the grimy window grew from murky patches to the full glare of morning. He was reminded of how he had watched her sleep during her recovery. For better or worse she had come back to him, all be it after he showed up and ruined her date by threatening to curse the younger wizard, but it was Charles Weasley for Merlin's sake! She couldn't possibly have been seriously considering him.

Severus pondered his own situation. He most likely would not live through the next year. Why else would Albus have finally given him the cursed Defense position? But he would not push her away again. Slowly his musings replayed the more memorable moments of the previous night and he reflexively pulled her sleeping form tighter against him. She nuzzled farther into his chest and gave a contented sigh. Had he actually told her he wanted her? If he were honest with himself, he was afraid he was close to confessing that he loved her. How could that be? It was impossible. There was only ever one person for him and she was dead. But he couldn't ignore the need he felt for Maya, the need to be near her, to have her say his name with that look in her eyes. Seeing her with Malfoy and Weasley had almost driven him beyond reason. He had been a fool thinking he could be so close to her and not have her in his life. The timing could not be worse though and he shook his head at the irony of the universe. He had been alone for sixteen years and had been content to be so. Now when they were in the middle of a war - a war that he would likely not live through - he found her. The one person in all that time who so willingly accepted him for who he was, past and present, she came to him when it was nearly impossible for them to have any sort of future together.

He shook his head to clear the brooding thoughts from his mind, letting his eyes wander the shabby neglected room, and he remembered something. What had happened with their dark marks? Reluctant to leave her side, he disentangled himself from the sheets and went to the wardrobe in the corner of the small room to find a clean shirt and trousers.

"Morning," she muttered from the bed.

"Good morning." He slid his arms into a clean white shirt and sat at the edge of the bed. He ran a hand over her cheek, tucking a chocolate curl behind her ear. How he had missed the sight of her. "We have a problem."

"What kind of a problem?" Maya eyed him suspiciously. She would hex him if he tried backing out on her again.

"Dumbledore sent me to find you last night."

She frowned. "I guess I owe you an apology then."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"It still doesn't justify you threatening Charlie, so don't look so smug." A smile pulled at the edges of her mouth, making it difficult for her to keep the stern tone in her voice.

"It seems Albus knows what he's doing at least part of the time. He sent me to warn you. Connell has named you as the Black Dragon. Not everyone believes him. Many still doubt that you're alive or that you could be in England but David Putnam was convincing in his arguments that Sturbridge's death had many similarities with the Dragon's work. Connell traded the information for a business deal with the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord wants him to find an ancient wand and Connell used the information about you to bargain."

"Severus, your cover! You were with me in Boston. What if they make the connection?"

He had underestimated her again, caring more about his safety than her own. "It appears no one showed me much attention, and Sturbridge isn't telling anyone what he saw, is he? I'm safe for now. I think it might be wise to warn Claire though. If they can connect her to you, she may be in danger. The more pressing matter is that it is no longer safe for you to go out undisguised, even in the muggle world. Dumbledore wants your true identity to be hidden at all times."

"At all times?" She smirked up at him, taking the front of his open shirt in her hands and pulling him closer.

"Perhaps not all the time. I'm not waking up next to India Ravenhill." He met her half way, gently caressing her soft lips with his. She smelled of lavender and Earl Grey tea. He loved the sight of her there, though the vision of her in the relic of his old family home, in his old bed, was difficult to take in. It was surreal to see something so beautiful in a place that he only remembered as a source of pain and anger from his childhood. Again, he had the sensation that his past was colliding with his present.

He held her face in his hands, indulging in the urge to trace her bottom lip with a thumb. They needed to go, but he was loath to leave the safe haven they had created in the night. On the other side of the door was a war and uncertainty, beginning with Pettigrew. The rat-like wizard was still in the house. The longer they stayed the more suspicious Pettigrew would become.

"We need to go. We must see Albus soon and don't forget to change your appearance. Pettigrew is down there and he's anxious to find something on me to take back to the Dark Lord."

"About our marks?" she asked reaching for her discarded clothing. As she dressed, Severus stepped behind her, covering her hip with one large hand and caressed the bare skin there. Maya leaned into his touch and sighed against him.

"That mark you have that so closely resembles my own, has it ever pained you before?" he rumbled in her ear, bending low so she could feel his breath on her skin, his lips almost touching her ear.

"No, now that you mention it, it hasn't hurt since I was marked…unless he was using a Cruciatus curse," she trailed off, glimpsing a bit of his worry.

"And that was no summons I felt on my arm either," he said, thoughtfully. "Hurry. We must go." He placed a quick kiss at her temple and released her to finish dressing.

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Severus paced the small space of Dumbledore's office as he and Maya waited for the old wizard to return from breakfast.

"Ah, Maya and Severus, glad to see that you two have worked out your differences." Dumbledore smiled at them. "Please Severus, sit and tell me what has you in such a state." With a look of annoyance, Severus began to explain to Albus, albeit an abbreviated version, of what had happened the night before.

After hearing the couple's tale, the old wizard looked thoughtful. "Well it appears that the dark marks that you each share have bonded and connected the two of you. Maya's bond to her marker was broken with his death. It seems the marks have forged a new bond. Since this was not how Maya's mark was meant to function the effects of the bonding is uncertain. I dare say this is quite unexpected, yet not all together unpleasant," the old man said with an irritating smile.

"Not unpleasant?" Snape said incredulously.

"Albus, what do you mean by bond?" Maya asked, not altogether sure she wanted to know the answer.

"I'm not certain, but it seems that the two marks reacted magically to one another, almost as if they recognized each other," he began.

"But that's impossible! I didn't even know Severus when I was branded," Maya interrupted.

"If I'm not mistaken, I would guess that the two of you came to some sort of agreement on your feelings for each other?" he said. Severus' discomfort was plain on his face.

"You could say it was something like that, yes," she answered for them both.

"It is my guess that the marks were joined by that declaration and will bind you to each other though to what degree, I am uncertain. From what I understand, the original mark was used to control one's partner, to allow the giver to be aware of the receiver's movements and control their actions." Severus responded with a short nod uncomfortable with this line of conversation.

"I can only imagine that Nathaniel didn't think to track me through the mark because he thought I was dead," Maya added solemnly.

"It seems that the unpredictable magical force of love has managed to find a way to mutate the dark magic of the mark. But be careful, we do not have an understanding of the extent of the connection," Dumbledore warned. "There are ancient bonds that result in loss of magical ability, madness or even death if vows are broken."

"Merlin," Maya muttered as the enormity of what Dumbledore was saying sunk in. She couldn't help but think of Tonks and her fading metamorph abilities.

Silence settled on the small cluttered office for several seconds until Severus finally spoke. "And now old man which vow would you have me break, because either way I AM MARKED for defeat," he said, voice calm as the grave. "How am I to protect her now?"

"Wait just a moment, I can protect myself! And vow? What vow? Severus what are you talking about? What's going on?" she demanded. Severus turned away from her, staring out of the tall office window across the grounds of the castle. He could not say it aloud.

"I'm afraid my dear that Severus was required to take an Unbreakable Vow to secure his trust with the Death Eaters," Dumbledore said softly.

"Unbreakable -" she said aghast. "Severus?" She stood from her chair and went to him by the window, placing a hand on his arm. She was shocked by the rare candor in his face and eyes. The guilt and regret were clearly reflected there. "That's why you said you didn't want to see me? You and Remus, two stubborn, noble fools."

"Rumors have been rampant since the beginning of the summer when I did not appear at the Ministry to fight. Bellatrix and Narcissa came to me at Spinner's End. I was cornered, I had no choice," Severus said, willing her to understand.

"A great many things may rely on Severus being well placed in Voldemort's inner circle. He is one of our strongest assets," Dumbledore added.

She nodded, knowing the part he had to play was crucial to defeating Voldemort. She couldn't keep the worry from her mind though. His safety was as precarious as ever.

Dumbledore again seemed to read her mind, though this time she doubted he needed his abilities at legilimency to do it. Dumbledore chuckled sadly. "No, I'm afraid it will kill me before it kills him. Though I don't think that will be much of a consolation to him."

"What were the terms of the vow?" She looked from Dumbledore to Severus, and a frozen chill ran up her spine.

"Draco has been given the task to kill Albus before the end of the term. The vow binds me to watch over Draco, to protect him from harm, and should he fail - to finish the task in his place," Severus said voice calm and steady. He had placed the emotionless mask over his features, awaiting her rejection and revulsion.

"Good lord." She could barely speak. "You know he won't do it!" she shot at Dumbledore. "He would rather die himself than to kill you and if he breaks that vow that is just what will happen. He'll die."

Snape snorted with dark amusement. "I wish you more luck convincing him than I had."

"Either way, my part in this journey is soon to be at an end." Dumbledore raised his cursed and blackened hand. "Helping Harry find a way to survive and defeat Voldemort is of primary importance."

"You actually mean for him to kill you, don't you? You're asking him to choose between his own death and becoming a murderer. Killing the man who he sees as more of a father then his own." Her frustration boiling over, Maya didn't wait for the headmaster's reply. She turned on her heel, leaving the office without another word to either man. The heavy wooden door slammed behind her.

"Alas, it seems I am destined to have two beautiful witches angry with me," Dumbledore said sadly, slumping in the large chair.

Snape gave the old wizard a dark look. "I better go after her, before she incinerates something." He left the office and made his way down the stairs. He had a good idea of where to look for her.

The coolness of the dungeons always centered him, and calmed his nerves, so he took the long way to his chambers instead of through the floo. He only had to go as far as his office to know he was correct. Maya was sitting in the high backed chair behind his desk, a look of fury and determination on her face. She didn't look up at him when he entered the office. Her attention was focused on the wand she was twirling in one hand, something she did when she was thinking. He silently made his way around the desk, standing before her. She looked up, meeting his eyes; he could read the worry and fear there.

Maya braced herself for his lecture; instead Severus leaned down, pressing her lips in a gentle kiss. He broke the kiss only long enough to pull her out of the chair and take her place, pulling her soundly into his lap.

"You know what this means, don't you?" she said, angrily. "When it happens, you'll have to leave. You'll be on the run, Severus."

'There we have it,' Severus thought derisively. She has finally come to realize how bleak his situation had become, what he had been trying to protect her from since the summer.

She leaned her forehead against his. "We need a plan."

"A what?"

"A plan. Dumbledore's not planning on telling anyone about this, is he? No one from the Order will know?" His silence was the only answer she needed. "Well I'm not having it! I'm not leaving you out there alone." Severus could only stare at her, dark eyes wide. Of all the things he had imagined she would say if she found out about the vow, this was never one of them. He hated to admit it but Dumbledore could be right; maybe he really did need this witch in his life.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: All That Was There, Will Be There Still***

* White Flag, (2003). Life For Rent, Dido.

The small Christmas tree fit comfortably on the side table that Maya and Tonks had placed in front of the tiny flat's only sitting room window. The women sat in pajamas drinking tea and cocoa while Maya cut snowflakes from parchment and Tonks strung cranberries and popcorn to trim the tree while Christmas carols played on the wizarding wireless in the kitchen.

"Are you sure you won't come to my parent's place for Christmas and Boxing Day?" Tonks asked.

"No. I thought I would spend Christmas with Severus, and we'll need the extra security anyway, with Savage being the only Auror staying and most of the professors leaving as well," Maya said. "You'll be okay?"

"I'll be alright. My mum will be suspicious about why I'm not morphing but otherwise she'll be over the moon that I'm actually coming home for a change. I thought I might stop in and see Molly too. She's been hinting that she wanted me to come over and spend some time with Ginny."

"Tonks, you know how Molly is – I heard Arthur say something at the last meeting about how if Remus could get away over the holidays he would be staying with them. I just don't want you to get blind-sided."

"Really? I'm not sure I can face him again."

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

"I know. The problem is I'm not sure I can stay away either. I feel like I need to see him for myself, see that he's okay. And what about you and Snape? You two have sorted things out then? You'll be okay here alone?"

"I think we'll be okay. We certainly have some things to iron out but it's a start. He asked if I was planning to go to Slughorn's party." Maya wrinkled her nose at the thought of an evening of listening to Horace boast about his past students.

"You going to go?"

"I guess so."

"What will you wear?"

"Oh, I hadn't even thought of it. I have no idea, most of my things got packed up and sent to my Gran's until I find a permanent place."

Tonks gave her a wicked grin. "I know just the place to find a dress that will knock his boots off. Make him think twice before throwing you over again."

Maya could only laugh at her friend's enthusiasm. "Tomorrow then? We both have the afternoon off."

"Perfect! We'll grab some lunch and make a real day of it."

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The silver gown shimmered in the candlelight as Maya finished pinning her hair. She had decided to dress for the party in Severus' rooms. The winter weather was far too unpleasant to be walking from the village in an evening gown. She stood in front of the long mirror in Severus' bath and wrinkled her nose. Looking at someone else's face in the mirror never got easier, but she had to admit that applying makeup and trading in her boots for delicate heels made her feel feminine again. That, and imagining Severus finding the counter spell that would remove her dress. She grabbed the thin shawl she had picked out to go with the dress, draping it lightly around her bare shoulders.

Severus had finished dressing and was waiting for her in the lounge. He stood by the fire in crisp black dress robes. Her breath hitched at the sight of him standing there. He was clean-shaven and she could smell a delightfully subtle scent of aftershave. "Don't you look distinguished?" She smiled at him as she crossed the room.

He looked up at the sound of her approach and froze. Maya was a vision in the silver gown that appeared to float over her skin. She turned to give him a full view of the dress. He swallowed dryly. The pale silver gown dipped low to the small of her back and shimmered in the candlelight when she moved. He still wasn't used to Ravenhill with her cool grey eyes, but when he looked closely he could see the spark that was Maya just under the surface. She had arranged India's raven waves with delicate combs decorated with mother of pearl and emeralds and added simple emerald earrings as her only other adornment. The face belonged to someone else but he had committed each of her curves to memory and was certain that everything below the neck was purely Maya. He could just make out the pattern of freckles at the small of her back that he had discovered last spring.

"I'm glad you approve." She smiled up at him and he could see the teasing laughter in her eyes. "Thanks to Connell and Grady, it looks like we'll be seeing a lot of Ms. Ravenhill."

"Not down here we won't." He reached down placing a kiss behind her ear, running his hands down the length of her back. He smiled when she trembled at his touch, her back breaking out in gooseflesh.

"If you keep that up we won't make it to the party and Slughorn will never let us hear the end of it."

He took a step back, reaching out to straighten her shawl, caressing her exposed shoulders as he did. "Let's get this over with then."

Maya took his arm and they made their way to Slughorn's chambers. Jazzy Christmas music could be heard through the door. A seventh year student was standing at the door in a pristine white valet jacket.

"Professor, Ms. Ravenhill," the boy said as he opened the door for them.

As they walked by, the young man's eyes widened at the view of Maya's exposed back. "Stop gawking, Simmons." Severus placed a hand at the small of her back and led her into the crowded room of people drinking and mingling as the music played jovially in the background. "You are going to cause a scandal with that dress," he said softly.

"We seem to be quite good at causing scandals together. I guess I'll just have to make it clear that I'm here with someone."

"Severus, India! I'm so glad you could both make it!" boomed Slughorn. He glanced at Severus' hand at Maya's back and didn't seem to know what to make of it but he quickly shrugged it off.

"Wouldn't miss it of course," Maya said. A wizarding camera came up and snapped a photo of them. She blinked trying to clear her eyes of the giant orb of light obscuring her vision. "Oh and a photographer too. How lovely." Her vision began to clear and she could see Severus smirking at her sarcasm.

"Yes, yes. We have to preserve these wonderful occasions and you both are looking stellar tonight," Slughorn charmed. "You especially, India! Severus, why don't you get yourself and Ms. Ravenhill a glass of mead? Please make yourselves merry!" In an instant Slughorn had disappeared again into the crowd making introductions and basking in the bliss of having so many of his prizes in one room.

"Wow, he's really in his element, isn't he?" Maya said.

"You've no idea. Count yourself lucky. If he knew who you were he would have you and Potter front and center on his mantle over there." Severus pointed in the direction they were walking. At the far end was a large fireplace, mantle covered with dozens of photos.

"His mantle?"

"Yes, it's where he displays the jewels of his collection. The students and acquaintances he's collected over the years that have any sort of fame or influence." Severus pointed to the many smiling and waving photos on the cluttered mantle as they moved to the edge of the room to avoid the main throng of the crowd. "Shall I get us drinks?"

"That would be wonderful."

Severus walked in the direction of the drinks bar, and Maya entertained herself by exploring Slughorn's collection. She reached for a photo that was close to the front. A tall gangly boy of about sixteen in a Slytherin tie stood in front of a cauldron next to a girl with long red hair holding a first place ribbon. The girl beamed and held the ribbon up for the camera then pulled the tall boy next to her in a one armed hug to be part of the photo. They had obviously won the prize together. Maya smiled sadly as the boy smirked out from his photo. She looked up as Severus returned, handing her a glass of white wine. He took a drink from his own glass.

"I wish I had known you then." She smiled up at him.

Severus glanced down not understanding her meaning at first. Then he saw the photo in her hands. "You would have been ten. I don't think you would have been impressed," he said dismissively, but his eyes looked sullen and suddenly it occurred to her who the red headed girl was. Slughorn had said Lily and Severus were his best students.

"She was very pretty," Maya said, placing the photo back on the shelf. He gave a non-committal shrug. She gave his arm a squeeze and he seemed to relax a bit. As they stood drinking their wine, Maya heard voices coming from behind them. She turned and noticed movement from behind the silken wall hangings Slughorn had used to make the room look more festive and hide the cold castle walls. Maya raised a brow at Severus. When the voices became muffled and were joined by rustling Severus rolled his eyes and scowled. He was about to throw back the fabric and dole out detentions when Maya placed a hand on his chest.

"Let me handle this one. Besides Severus, it's a Christmas party. Stealing a few kisses goes with the territory."

Severus put his hands up in gesture of surrender. "Fine have it your way."

Maya turned and gently pulled back the edge of the fabric, planning to give the two sweethearts a quiet suggestion to tone it down a bit, but instead she frowned. Hermione Granger was wrestling with a lunk of a boy with groping hands. The boy had backed her into the corner of the little alcove and was trying to _persuade_ her into a more amorous state of mind. Granger was desperately trying to put distance between them. Between dodging his kisses and trying to escape his hands she was losing the battle.

Maya slipped behind the curtain, arms crossed over her chest. "Eh-hem!" The boy's head shot up and he nearly fell over when he saw Maya standing behind him. Hermione went a brilliant shade of scarlet.

"Miss Granger, I trust that you're okay?"

"Yes, Ms. Ravenhill." Hermione gave Maya a grateful smile.

"Miss Granger, you may go. I believe I just saw Mr. Potter and Ms. Lovegood arrive." Maya turned her hard glare on the young man. "And who are you again?"

"McLaggen, Miss. Cormac McLaggen."

"You and I are going to have a word, Mr. McLaggen."

Hermione darted out from behind the lunk as if she were shot from a canon, whispering a quiet thanks to Maya as she went. Severus stared after her in bewilderment as she darted past him. She gave him a nod of acknowledgement and disappeared into the crowd. A few moments later Cormac McLaggen emerged from the alcove behind him, face red and expression guilty. He scanned the room for a moment then took off in the opposite direction from Hermione. Maya was right behind him.

"Feel free to give that one detention at your next opportunity."

"I'm happy to oblige but may I ask why?"

"He's an octopus, all arms and lips," Maya said in disgust.

"Ah. McLaggen has more muscles than brains. Minerva has her hands full with that one. I fear Miss Granger was well out of her depths if she was his companion tonight."

"He'll think twice before trying that little maneuver again."

"What did you do?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Let's just say I mentioned a few special curses that I will be sharing with Hermione and then I threatened to give him a demonstration if I saw him trying to maul anyone else tonight."

"Where could you even be keeping a wand?" He couldn't stop himself from asking the question, even though he knew full well she didn't need a wand to perform magic. Maya gave a quick glance to see if anyone was watching and slipped back behind the curtain. "Where are you going?" he hissed under his breath. In a flash, Maya shot out a hand grabbing his. She tugged hard, pulling him behind the curtain with her.

"You don't need a wand for everything, Severus." She reached up and grabbed his tie, gently pulling him down. And for an instant she removed the spell letting her blue eyes search his. She kissed him softly. Severus wrapped his arms around her pulling her close to him, enjoying the feel of her smooth skin under his fingers. When her eyes opened they were grey again. The moment of disappointment he felt at their return vanished when Maya's arms went around his neck, her fingers running through the hair at his nape.

"Maybe we should return to the party before we are discovered by another batch of randy students?" However, he made no move to step away from her as he ran a finger under the shoulder of her dress, moving it to the side to place a kiss on the soft skin underneath. His suave move was thwarted however as the delicate fabric immediately returned to its place. He frowned at the troublesome piece of fabric.

"The dress came from Madam Maulkin's, I'm spelled into it." She flashed him a coy smile.

"I think I've created a monster. I don't remember you being this smug when you arrived last fall. And a witch's dress no less, what next?" He traced the cluster of freckles at the small of her back from memory.

Maya's smile widened. "You'll have to wait to find out, but that's me, always full of surprises. You'll just have to consider this a coming attraction. Come on, we better go before we're missed."

"Am I going to like the main feature?"

"I think so, and if you play your cards right it could be a double feature." Maya reached up, giving him a quick kiss then straightened his tie. "There, all present and correct as always." She ducked out from behind the curtain and out into the crowded party. Severus gave her a few minutes head start for the sake of decorum and then left the small alcove himself.

When he spotted her in the crowd she had gotten them more wine. "Did I hear you say that Potter was here?" he asked.

"Yes, I saw him and Luna Lovegood arrive a little while ago, why?"

"I have a message to deliver for Dumbledore."

"You find Potter, deliver your message and I'll mingle a bit."

Severus set off across the crowded room towards another curtained alcove. Maya mingled, saying hello to several students and to Sybill the divination professor. Slughorn was in the middle of introducing her to a wizard named Eldred Worple, an author whose current project was an autobiography of a vampire named Sanguini.

"Very nice to meet you both, Mr. Worple, Signor Sanguini," Maya said politely.

The pallid vampire leered at her, taking her hand and placing a lingering kiss on the back. "The pleasure is all mine I am sure."

"And here is her companion for the evening, our own Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, and excellent Potion Master in his own right, Professor Severus Snape. Trained by myself of course. An excellent student, excellent!"

Severus appeared at Maya's elbow, eyes fixed on the vampire who still held Maya's hand.

"Professor, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well." Sanguini released Maya's hand but his eyes were now riveted to the exposed pulse point at her neck.

"Careful there Sanguini, Ms. Ravenhill here is our Head of Security," Slughorn warned.

"Yes Sanguini, why don't we move to a less crowded part of the room?" Worple said nervously. "Where there's less temptation."

"I hope that our paths will cross again someday," Sanguini said smoothly.

Maya could feel the tension in Severus and took an imperceptible step closer to him. "One never knows what the future will hold, Signor."

"Professor, Ms. Ravenhill it was very nice to meet you both," Worple said eying Severus and Sanguini as if he were trying to decide which posed the greatest danger – the vampire's interest in Maya or his intrusion into Snape's territory. "Come Sanguini, we really should go and get some air."

Maya watched them leave with amusement. Slughorn, always the good host, had already moved on to another group of party goers to mingle and introduce everyone.

"I told you that you were going to cause a scandal," Severus said.

"You did indeed. How did it go with Potter?" she said, taking his arm again.

"It was acceptable. You'll be happy to know I was able to perform that favor you requested," Severus smirked at her.

"McLaggen? Already?"

"Let's just say he'll be spending the first four weeks of the spring term cleaning out first year cauldrons without magic."

"Thank you, Severus! What's say we do one more lap around the room to be seen and then get out of here so I can show my appreciation properly?"

"I would say that was an-" He was cut off by Filch's whiny voice barging into the party, dragging Draco Malfoy by the collar.

"What the devil?" Snape said as Filch announced to Slughorn and his guests that Malfoy was caught gatecrashing. Slughorn was about to give the boy permission to stay. "Can have a word?" Severus said, taking Malfoy by the elbow.

Maya glanced up at Severus, and the words "Stay here" echoed in her mind. He clearly believed that whatever Draco was up to had something to do with the plot against Dumbledore. She gave him the smallest of nods as he led the blond-haired boy back out into the hall. Maya returned to her mingling but kept the door in her line of sight. She made the rounds, chatting with another teacher until at last Severus returned to the door, motioning for her to join him. When Maya reached him, he guided her out of the party, frowning at Simmons as they walked by.

Once they were safely in the dungeons, Severus shed his jacket and paced in front of the fire for several long moments before he spoke. Maya sat patiently on the arm of a chair, waiting for him to say something. "Draco is working on some plan upstairs in the Room of Requirement but I cannot convince him to tell me what he's up to."

"The one that becomes what ever you need it to be? On the Seventh floor?"

"Yes, that would be the one."

Something from patrols a few weeks ago came back to her. "Have you noticed any younger female students hanging around Malfoy lately?"

His brow furrowed. "Draco is not one to waste time with first years."

"Then I'd say someone's discovered how to brew polyjuice."

Severus turned to look at her from his place by the fire, eyeing her shrewdly. "What would make you suspect that?"

"A few weeks ago I was patrolling up on seven and came across two of the most awkward first year girls you can imagine. When I came around the corner, one of them nearly jumped out of her skin and dropped a potted plant that let out a terrible wail when it hit the floor. I helped her clean up the mess but there was just something strange about her and her friend. They were both in Gryffindor robes and the names they gave checked out so I didn't see what else I could do, but now – I wonder if Mr. Malfoy hasn't come up with a cleaver way to have his friends play look out. It makes sense, that way if anyone got suspicious Gryffindor would be suspected. It's what I would have done, anyway- throw them off the scent."

"Are you sure you're not a Slytherin?" he asked. "You said there were two of them? Probably Crabb and Goyle. They're both dim enough to go along with such a ridiculous scheme."

"Perhaps you can learn more about Malfoy's plan from them?"

"It's unlikely that Draco shared the details of what he's doing with them, but perhaps I can learn enough to fill in the blanks myself." He sighed, running a hand over his tired eyes. Maya stood and crossed the room. She placed a gentle hand on his arm.

Severus looked into her eyes for several heartbeats, then reached up and gently pulled the delicate comb from her hair. With a small toss of her head raven waves became long chocolate curls falling down her back and when she opened her eyes, they were a deep sapphire blue. Her face and skin shimmered for an instant as her appearance returned to normal. The barest of smiles formed at the corner of his mouth as he slowly slid the shawl from her shoulders.

He ran his hands over the bare skin of her arms and the skin there broke out in gooseflesh despite the warmth from the fire. Maya placed a hand over his heart as he turned his attention to the strap of her dress. He placed a gentle kiss on the soft skin beneath it. The magic in the dress crackled but the fabric returned stubbornly to its original position.

Maya grinned at the look of concentration on his face and like all good students his determination paid off. On the second attempt the fabric of the dress shimmered and fell from her shoulder. To reward him for his diligence she kissed him, allowing her lips to move slowly over his.

He deepened the kiss. She tasted of elf wine and the chocolate hors d'oeuvres he had brought her at the party. Her hands went to his neck and tangled in his hair. When they finally parted she took his hand and led him to the large bathroom that held the enormous claw foot bathtub. As the door shut behind them, Maya let the silver gown fall in a pool at her feet.

In the darkness of the Hogwarts dungeons they could shut out the outside world and the war that was growing closer with every passing day. The warm water and steam had done much to ease Severus' tired muscles. Maya had eased his increasingly tormented mind, nimbly working her fingers across his scalp and down his neck and shoulders. Afterwards, they lay dozing in the dim light of the fire. He rolled onto his back, leaning into the softness of the pillows, bringing her with him to rest on his chest. Maya ran her fingers through his hair as he watched her with half closed eyes. Her skin was like satin after their bath and he found himself captivated by the look of bliss in her eyes. He leaned forward, allowing himself to become lost in the feel of her soft lips moving against his own.

Maya's thoughts drifted to the young dark-haired Slytherin in the photo on Slughorn's mantel. She gazed on his older self, looking for the almost indiscernible traces of the boy he had been in his features. She frowned, remembering how his mood had changed when he realized that Lily was also in the photo. Severus gathered her against his chest and rolled, pinning her beneath him.

"There will be no scowling in bed, Madam." He buried his face in her neck, teasing the sensitive skin there with feather light kisses.

"Severus, wait," she said softly. He looked down at her questioningly. "I'm not someone who needs a definition and I'm certainly not asking for a declaration." She reached up, brushing his damp hair from his face, leaving him no excuse not to look into her eyes. "Look at me, Severus. I want to make sure that you see _me_ \- that you're here with me. If you want her, I can't do this." Her eyes changed to sparkling emerald green to emphasize her point.

"Don't," he said, but he didn't look away. "Change back. I get to see the real you so rarely." Maya complied at once. He was quiet for a long time before he finally spoke. "I do see you," he said, so softly she almost couldn't hear him. "But I don't know if I can let her go completely. It's been so long, she's become a part of me."

"What happened?" Maya asked, finally able to give voice to the question she'd wanted to ask since Tonks had revealed the identity of the mysterious Lily.

Severus was silent for several seconds. Could he tell her? Could he actually say the words aloud? Only Dumbledore knew the full measure of his sins and he had spoken of it rarely. Before Potter had come to Hogwarts they hadn't spoken of it at all, not since the night Lily had died. He had held her dead body in his arms and he had died with her, there on the floor of Harry Potter's destroyed nursery. He had come back to Hogwarts a ruined man and Dumbledore had made him swear to protect the boy, knowing that the Dark Lord would eventually return.

But something in Severus had awoken when Maya had appeared in his life. He didn't know if he could call it love, what he felt for her was nothing like what he felt for Lily. He had felt a burning need to protect her, or hex her, since the moment they'd met. Being apart from Maya had been unbearable, and in that time he had made his decision.

"I – It was my fault," he said simply and felt the familiar vice-like grip of guilt close on his heart.

"What was your fault?" Maya asked, studying his face closely.

"It's my fault she's dead."

"What?" She searched his eyes for answers and tried to recall what little she knew about the Potters' deaths. She wished she could somehow make this easier for him. "Show me," she said suddenly. "Trust me."

"Are you sure? I didn't exaggerate in Boston, killing Sturbridge would not have been anywhere near the worst thing I've done. Somethings you can't un-know."

"Show me," she repeated. "I am with the man you are now. He is a brave and good man."

"You may not think so once you know everything but I will not stop you." He heard himself echo her words from last spring. Could he do it? Could he tell her everything? He thought of the gruesome task that lay before him. The thought of having at least one person alive who knew the truth was too enticing to refuse. Perhaps she would give him the strength to carry out Albus' orders.

Without warning Maya was flooded with emotions and memories that were not her own. For a moment Severus looked surprised, but his practiced mind quickly organized the surge of memories. The blur of images stilled and a towering hook-nosed man, face contorted in rage shouted at a cowering woman. The sour odor of alcohol was so pungent Maya's stomach gave a flip of nausea. A small dark-haired boy cried in a corner, terrified his tears would draw his father's attention but unable to make them stop. Maya's heart ached at the broken-neglected look of the woman and the boy. Time rushed forward and the small boy hid behind a bush as he watched a young ginger-haired girl who was using magic to swing higher and jump farther than her muggle sister. From that day on the boy and girl spent their afternoons hiding in the shade talking about magic and Hogwarts.

Next, the boy stood waiting for the Hogwarts Express. The woman next to him was now thin, back slumped, her dark eyes dull and flat. The boy stared longingly at the red-haired girl and her family standing farther down the platform. The boy and girl found themselves sharing a compartment with young Sirius Black and James Potter. The boys teased Severus for wanting to be in Slytherin House and Severus scoffed at them in return. A life-long rivalry was born. Severus and the girl stood to leave the compartment. Sirius tripped him, calling him "Snivellus!" Time raced forward. The Sorting Hat called out, "Lily Evans" and the red haired-girl ran to the Gryffindor table with Black and Potter. Moments later the hat called out Severus' name. "Slytherin!" He crossed to the other side of the hall to sit at the Slytherin table. A prefect with platinum hair, young Lucius Malfoy, clapped him on the back in welcome.

The world blurred and Severus looked older. Lily rebuked him for hexing a boy that had been teasing her. She accused him of knowing more curses then anyone in their year. Severus felt a mixture of pride at her acknowledgement of his talent and embarrassment for the scolding. Hogwarts darkened and a gangly Severus, all limbs and angles, snuck down the darkened stairs of Spinner's End in ratty too-small pajamas that stopped three inches above his ankles and wrists. He was careful to skip the creaky stair that would stop the drunken snores coming from his parents' bedroom. He crept across the lounge, softly clicking on the telly to the BBC late night movie. He mouthed the words quietly, practicing the posh way the characters spoke, determined to prove to everyone that he was not just a Mill Rat from Yorkshire.

Hogwarts reappeared; Severus and Lily were arguing as they walked across the grounds. She called him " _Sev_ " now and he was so tall she had to look up to meet his eyes, which never seemed to leave her. Lily ranted that his evil Slytherin friends practiced the Dark Arts. He dismissed her accusations and criticized her friendship with James Potter in a jealous explosion. Lily called Potter a "toerag" and Severus' body relaxed. His anger vanished and he walked a little lighter as he took Lily's school bag from her shoulder, a small smile curving at the corners of his mouth. The courtyard vanished. They were on a muggle street. Lily pulled Severus down the sidewalk by the arm towards a shop with a neon sign that read CHIPS. He didn't approve of the muggle shop but when she grabbed his hand it was as if he had been struck by lightning. They placed their orders with the gent at the counter. Severus glanced down and realized he had never let go of Lily's hand and she didn't seem to mind.

The street was replaced with a sea of students seated in the Great Hall. Teens feverishly scratched out answers to their OWL's on parchment. Severus stood, his shoulders had broadened and his oily hair hung limply in his face. He turned in his exam and walk out on to the grounds. Without warning Potter and Black ambushed him, hexing him in front everyone on the school lawn.

Fury ignited in Maya and the adult Severus blinked, but far from breaking the connection as it should have done, the memory continued. The young Severus sputtered in humiliation. Maya felt his frustration; it was his promise to Lily that kept him from using a more powerful spell to defend himself. Then Lily was there, red hair gleaming in the sunlight, defending him, which only made the incapacitated Severus even angrier. Blood splattered on Potter's robes. Maya recognized the curse that Severus had invented. Potter retaliated and instantly Severus was hanging in the air by his ankle. Lily came to his defense once again. In his embarrassment, Severus lashed out and the word "moodblood" flew out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Lily stood stunned, blinking in the sun and then she was gone. Time rushed forward. Severus paced frantically in front of the Gryffindor portrait, pleading with Lily. He said he was sorry over and over but she would hear none of his explanations. She challenged him to deny his intentions to join the Death Eaters. His silence spoke volumes. She looked at him coldly and asked him why she should be any different from the other "mudbloods?"

Gryffindor tower faded. A miserable looking Severus sat on his bed in the dark shooting down flies with his wand. He gathered his courage and walked up a path lined by pristinely manicured flowerbeds. Lily's sister opened the door but would not let him in, instead the door slammed in his face. He glanced up and caught a flash of red hair at the window and then it was gone. Time sped up and Severus scowled as he watched Potter pawing at Lily during graduation, hands freely roaming over her figure while they waited to take their seats. Then he was reading the Daily Profit. A photo of a smirking James Potter, Lily held tightly in his arms, announced the couple's engagement.

The photo vanished. Severus walked a dark street, Lucius Malfoy by his side. Together they harassed and tortured muggles that were unlucky enough to cross their path. Maya saw the face of a blonde-haired man, blue eyes round with terror. The man sealed his fate when he struck his female companion. Severus vented his pent up rage on the man with a torrent of curses and hexes. "Avada Kedavra!" he shouted silencing the muggle's cries; Severus' initiation was complete. He knelt before a man in long black robes with twisted features and red eyes. Voldemort touched his wand to Severus' arm and the Dark Mark glowed red then charred to black. The smell of burning flesh churned Maya's stomach as she remembered the last time she smelled that stench. The present day Severus blinked again and it calmed her, reminding her that these were just memories. She realized that twice now the break in eye contact should have ended the spell but still the memories continued.

The Hog's Head Inn appeared. An adult Severus sat with Dumbledore, fidgeting under the Headmaster's penetrating gaze as he interviewed for the Defense position. Dumbledore looked disapprovingly at Severus' left forearm. Maya felt Severus' anger and fear at being denied the position. The price was high for failing the Dark Lord. Moments later Severus stood listening at the door as Sibyll Trelawney interviewed for the Divination position. Sibyll's voice became a rasp and foretold of the Dark Lord's defeat by a child born at the end of July. Before she had finished, the barman grabbed Severus by the scruff of the neck and threw him from the Inn. The Hogshead turned into an elegant parlor. Severus kneeled at Voldemort's feet and told his master everything he had overheard. His stomach turned to ice when Bellatrix eagerly reported that two couples were expecting babes at the end of July. The Dark Lord believed the Potters were the greater threat. He would destroy them personally. Severus couldn't breathe, he couldn't think.

Severus stood on a hilltop in the night, cold wind whipped at his cloak and hair. He was near panic, turning in circles, eyes wild and hands wringing. A blinding light erupted and he threw his hands in front of his face. Dumbledore stood before him, his lined face twisted in anger and contempt. Severus threw himself to the ground and begged Dumbledore for mercy. He confessed all, even his pleas to the Dark Lord to spare Lilly's life – but the Dark Lord had mercilessly refused. He begged Dumbledore to keep Lily and her family safe. Dumbledore asked Severus what he would give in return and his unwavering answer was "Anything."

The hilltop was gone. The ominous glow of the Dark Mark hung in the sky over the ruins of a small cottage. One entire wall was missing. Severus stepped over the debris, his chest pounding, hands shaking. James Potter's body stared blankly up at him on the landing, wand still in hand. Ahead a door stood ajar and Severus could see the legs of someone on the floor. He numbly entered the room, oblivious to the child crying softly in the crib. Lily's lifeless body lay between the door and the crib. Severus clutched her to his chest, wishing with every fiber of his being that he could die in her place. Dumbledore found him on the nursery floor, Lily's body in his arms, wailing uncontrollably and insane with grief. Maya couldn't breathe! She couldn't breathe because Severus couldn't breathe. She felt his grief clamp around her heart until she was certain it would burst. She gasped, squeezing her eyes shut to shield herself from his intense pain. She felt him rest his forehead on hers. But the tale wasn't over.

From behind closed eyes Maya saw Severus, slumped in a chair in Dumbledore's office, roaring at the older wizard in his grief. Severus accused Dumbledore of failing to keep Lily safe. Dumbledore's only explanation was that they had all placed their trust in the wrong people. Severus considered the potion in his breast pocket; it stopped the heart instantly and had no antidote. Then Dumbledore offered him a chance at redemption. Lily's son had survived. If there was remorse in his heart, if he truly loved her Severus would stay at Hogwarts and help protect the boy. The Dark Lord would return and Harry Potter would be in terrible danger. Slowly Severus got control of himself. His breathing slowed and he looked at Dumbledore with red eyes. He agreed to Dumbledore's request on one condition - that no-one was to ever know.

The rush of memories and emotions finally stilled and Maya struggled to get control over her breathing and her senses. It took several long moments to ground her back in the present and to separate her own thoughts and feelings from Severus'. She could smell the comforting scents of the fire in the grate and Severus' breath on her face still tinged with the wine he drank at the party, the alluring scent of the soap he had used a mixture of spices and herbs. She could feel the weight of his broad chest pinning her to the mattress, his forehead against hers. She opened her eyes and the vulnerability in his made her breath hitch in her throat. She took his face in her hands.

"It changes nothing. I told you before, you paid for your past and you repay that debt everyday you put yourself in danger to protect the boy and to end this war. You are a brave and good man, Severus."

He blinked at her in stunned silence, unable to believe it possible that she could still think so highly of him after seeing everything he had done. He gently kissed her forehead leaving his lips to linger on her soft skin.

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

Remus Lupin stepped out of the back door into the cool night air. After being with the werewolf pack for so many months the closeness of the house seemed almost as oppressive as it did comfortable. He was weary from travel and long nights spent sleeping in forests and abandoned houses and also from the futile nature of his mission. Very few of his fellow werewolves were willing to listen or to give Dumbledore a chance. They had been poisoned by Grayback and marginalized by wizards for far too long. Many of them were cold, starving, and lonely when they joined the pack. It is often the first acceptance they encounter since being afflicted. Remus froze; his heightened sense of smell caught her unique scent well before he could see her form come through the wards at the garden gate.

"Oh…Sorry. I didn't realize you were here already or I wouldn't have –" Tonks began but stopped, taking in his thin gaunt face with new scars that hadn't been there at the end of the summer. He had more gray at his temples and looked exhausted. "Happy Christmas," she said limply.

Remus was shocked. He knew it was Tonks from her scent but that was where the similarities ended. He had seen her in her natural appearance before but it wasn't the brown hair and eyes and the subtle changes to her face that worried him. Her entire presence was different. Her shoulders slumped in a defeated way that showed none of her old exuberance and there was an empty hollow look in her eyes. "Happy Christmas Tonks," he replied, hoping he would see her face and eyes light up. But nothing happened.

"Tonks," he said with a sigh, "you're not sleeping, are you? And why aren't you morphing?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, maybe I just don't feel like morphing my appearance. Is there something wrong with the way I look without magic?" She spat out the words with more anger then she had intended.

"There's nothing wrong with your appearance, you always look -" he stopped himself before he said too much. "You should get out, Tonks. Go out with Maya, have some fun. This sadness doesn't suit you."

"I've been on dates!" Tonks protested halfheartedly.

"Tonks, I'm a werewolf. I would have smelled any wizard that had been within fifty yards of you from the moment you came through the garden gate."

"Well it's not like I have loads of time, Remus, what with patrolling Hogwarts and the village, not to mention other Order business. I'm very busy."

"Are you taking care of yourself, Nym? You can't waste so much energy on me."

"It's not a waste, Remus! I know you still love me – for all of your excuses about why we can't be together not loving me has never been one of them!"

"I could never lie to you, Nym."

"Don't call me that, Remus. It hurts. It's impossible to hear you call me that and not hold me in your arms," she said, trying not to sniffle and hating the pleading tone in her voice.

"Tonks, we've been through all of this," he said, feeling weary all of a sudden.

"No Remus, you decided! You didn't consult me at all! Being there with that monster, it's killing you. He may not have poisoned you or put a wand to your throat, but he's killing your spirit, Remus, your soul!" They had come back to the same argument that they had parted with last summer. She risked taking a step closer to him.

"You know why I have to go, why I have to try at least," he said. "Even if I know it's a futile endeavor."

Tonks took another step closer and could have touched him if she just reached out her hand. "Remus, please let me help you!"

Remus bent down and put his forehead to hers, closing his eyes in an attempt to shield his battered soul from more pain. "Don't, Tonks. Please don't tempt me. This is hard enough as it is." He feared her gaze would weaken his already crumbling resolve. Before he knew what was happening, Tonks met his lips with hers. It was all he could do to plead with the wolf, who was determined that if the man would not see sense, the wolf would. The wolf answered her call immediately as Remus' hands slid through her hair and skimmed her sides down to her hips. Remus deepened the kiss and gave over to the wolf's desires – imagining he was filling all of the hollowed spaces Greyback had carved out of his soul over the last five months with her love and affection.

Her small hands made their way inside his jacket, and she was shocked at how thin he had become. She could feel his long fingers at the hem of her tee and she broke out in gooseflesh as they found the bare skin of her waist just underneath. She couldn't help the shudder that went through her. And then his hands were gone only to appear firmly on her shoulders, pushing some distance between them.

"Tonks, please, no. I can't - we can't!"

"Remus don't - Don't do this!" There was pain in her voice and every fiber of her being, but it was too late. He had turned and was making quick strides across the paddock that the Weasley children used for a makeshift quidditch pitch. Hot tears stung at the backs of her eyes threatening to fall. She vanished with a soft pop, deciding to avoid the Burrow for the rest of the Christmas holiday.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Double, Double Toil, and Trouble; Fire Burn, and Caldron Bubble***

* Double Trouble, (2004). Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The Original Motion Picture, John Williams, Robin Crow, & Linsey Williams.

The warm sun of spring filtered through the tall windows of the teachers' lounge, bathing the room in golden light. Maya sat at the long table with Tonks perched on a chair across from her, parchments spread out between them on the table's smooth surface.

"I don't think we need to make many changes to the patrolling schedules or the departure procedure for Easter," Maya said as she scanned one of the parchments in front of her.

"No. Only Proudfoot will be leaving for the break," Tonks said.

"Excellent. Most of the professors will be here as well."

"Marvelous! No extra shifts, maybe we can actually enjoy the holiday." Tonks leaned back in her chair and stretched cat-like in the sun.

The door to the lounge crashed open and both witches looked up in surprise. "Ms. Ravenhill? Auror Tonks? You're both needed in the hospital wing!" the young Gryffindor exclaimed, gasping to catch his breath.

Maya gathered up her parchments in one sweep and headed for the door with Tonks close on her heels. They raced towards the hospital wing, and found Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape standing near the foot of a hospital cot with crisp white linens. Hermione Granger sat by the side of the bed holding Ron Weasley's hand. The boy appeared unconscious and deathly pale. Dumbledore was shooing out Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, both looked at Maya and Tonks with anxious faces as they hesitantly slipped out the double doors and into the hall.

"What's happened?" Maya asked quietly as she and Tonks joined Severus, McGonagall, and Dumbledore near the end of Ron's cot.

"Why don't we take this into Poppy's office," Dumbledore suggested.

Once the small group was gathered in the hospital matron's tiny office Tonks asked, "So what happened to Ron?"

"It appears Mr. Weasley has had a rather traumatic day. According to Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley unknowingly ate some chocolates that had been laced with a love potion at Christmas. The potion, which had strengthened over the months, had a very dramatic effect. Mr. Potter believes the dosed sweets were sent to him by Ms. Romilda Vane," Dumbledore said glancing at McGonagall.

"I will certainly be having a talk with Ms. Vane, you may count on it," McGonagall said, lips pressed in a hard thin line.

Severus rolled his eyes and let out a sigh of exasperation. "Of course – The Chosen One," he muttered.

Dumbledore ignored him and continued. "Since he didn't see the injury as life threatening, Mr. Potter convinced Mr. Weasley to go with him to Professor Slughorn's office in hopes that Horace could provide an antidote."

"But even a love potion that's gone off wouldn't leave the boy like that," said Tonks with a frown.

"Agreed. What else happened to him?" Maya asked.

"It appears that after administering the antidote, Horace learned that it was young Mr. Weasley's birthday. He offered him a celebratory pint of spiced mead which alas, seems to have been poisoned," Dumbledore finished with a deflating sigh.

"Poisoned?" Maya exclaimed.

"But who would want to poison Slughorn?" Tonks asked.

"According to Horace he had purchased the mead as a present for myself, but never got around to delivering it." Dumbledore looked briefly to Severus who let out another weary sigh.

"So you think the poison may have been intended for you and not Ron or Slughorn?" Tonks theorized. "Whoever the culprit was took a great risk in assuming that the bottle would reach you."

"Agreed," McGonagall said. "Horace is not known for his altruism."

Maya caught Severus' eye and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Dumbledore, I think we need to meet with all of the teachers and staff. Severus, Minerva, I think the heads should do a search of their dormitories and common areas. Let's make sure there aren't anymore 'gifts' lying about."

"I think that's a wise decision, Ms. Ravenhill. I can't help but notice this is the second Gryffindor student that has been seriously injured since the start of term," McGonagall said sternly. Dumbledore nodded his head in agreement.

"I better inform the rest of the Aurors so we can help with the search," Tonks said.

"Excellent idea Ms. Tonks," Dumbledore agreed. Tonks looked at Maya with a strained expression as she left the office.

"I'll round up the staff. The sooner we get this over with the better!" McGonagall said and turned on her heel leaving Maya, Severus, and Dumbledore alone in the small office.

There was a long pause, the soft tick of Poppy's wall clock counted off the seconds. Finally Maya spoke. "Am I correct in assuming this is Malfoy's work as well?"

"I would say that's a safe assessment," Severus said. "It's clear that he no longer trusts me, thanks in part to his Auntie Bella no doubt."

"Have you been able to find out anything?" Maya looked to Severus hoping for any shred of a clue that would help them protect the other students.

"As I told you before, I originally believed he had been working on the vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement. The schematics Lucius showed me, your sightings of students skulking around the hall, it all pointed to the vanishing cabinet being his plan. But these attempts are disorganized, sloppy and incredibly reckless. I have no idea how they fit into a plan to use the cabinet."

Maya considered his words as the clock continued to tick by the seconds. "What if they don't fit together at all?" she thought aloud.

"What?"

"Please, go on," Dumbledore said calmly.

"What if he's panicking?" Maya suggested.

"Slytherins don't panic," Severus said emphatically, arms crossed tightly over his chest.

"Think about it, Sev. Think like a sixteen year old. His plan is the vanishing cabinet but it's a tough job, probably well beyond the skill of a sixth year. Then daddy and Auntie Bella put on the pressure so he panics and pulls out something reckless hoping to get lucky - like the cursed necklace – like the poisoned mead," Maya said, sounding more sure as she went.

Dumbledore looked to Severus as the younger wizard weighed the measure of her argument. The old wizard found it quite interesting to watch them work in cooperation. They were hardly aware of his presence.

"Draco has never been that reckless before, but perhaps under the right conditions, if the pressure was high enough." He was silent for a long moment, and then looked from Maya to Dumbledore. "If they threatened his family."

'Narcissa,' Maya thought and Severus looked up at her and nodded, having heard her thoughts as loudly as if they were his own.

Dumbledore eyed them closely certain that some unspoken communication had passed between them.

"A boy his age believes his father is invincible, but his mother? He would risk anything to protect her. It would be enough to send any boy into a frenzied panic," Maya said bringing Dumbledore up to speed.

"At the very least I think it would be wise to cancel the Hogsmeade weekend, Headmaster," Severus said.

"I hate to invade people's privacy but I would also recommend searching any incoming packages. Who knows who Draco has convinced or cursed into bringing dangerous items into the castle for him," Maya added.

Dumbledore was silent for a long moment. "I quite agree," he sighed solemnly.

Severus nodded his assent as well. "It would be the sensible option."

"Minerva and Ms. Tonks have likely gathered everyone by now to begin the search. We should join them," Dumbledore said.

"As if matters weren't bad enough already, now I have to be screening for love potions too. Ugh, stupid children!" Maya muttered under her breath as they left the hospital wing only to hear Severus give a snort of laughter behind her.

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

To protect the students as much as possible, Maya and the Aurors had taken to checking all mail and Filch and the house heads were searching any items brought back from the village as well as doing regular searches of the common areas and dormitories. Now, with the students safely aboard the Hogwarts Express and heading home for the Easter holiday, the atmosphere in the school seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Only a handful of students had remained through the holiday, one of which was Draco Malfoy, but at least with the school virtually empty the damage he could cause was minimal. It also meant Severus was able to devote more time to learning what the young Slytherin was up to and to try to persuade him into sharing his plans. He was certain that Maya's theory was correct and that Draco was focusing on repairing the vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement. He would likely be trying to smuggle something into the castle but what? He had not seen Malfoy or any of his 'look outs' bring anything out of the room and as each week passed the boy looked more and more frantic. Whatever he was trying wasn't working.

Tonight Malfoy had been in the room for hours and a clock somewhere in the castle chimed midnight. Severus had been watching the entrance to the Room of Requirement since the boy had entered just after dinner. Months ago when Severus had deduced that Draco was working on the vanishing cabinet, he had attempted to enter the room only to find that the cunning Slytherin had spelled an alarm to sound if anyone entered the room while the boy was inside.

Severus had managed to get inside the secret room, which had become difficult since the Weasley boy's attack. Severus had spotted Black's ancient house elf lurking behind a statue one night, another night it was the Malfoy's former elf that had attached himself to Potter. One of the elves was always lurking around somewhere wherever Draco went. Since both elves were connected to Potter, Severus guessed that Potter had been unable to contain his meddlesome curiosity and ordered the two elves to follow Draco. Once he had been able to slip passed the house elves and enter the room, Severus had found the vanishing cabinet still woefully malfunctioning, the enchantments embedded were fragmented and unpredictable.

The door creaked open and a head of platinum hair peaked out. Pale grey eyes scanned the corridor to see if he was being watched, but he did not see Severus or the two house elves watching him closely. Severus followed him down to the dungeons and allowed him a head start before he passed through the portrait hole into the common room after him. The house elves could not enter the Slytherin common room and had taken up positions on either side of the portrait hole to wait for Malfoy to exit again. Draco was not the only Slytherin still in the castle but the common room was deserted. A quick muffliato spell guaranteed they would not be overheard.

"Draco," Severus called out to the boy who sat on the smooth black leather sofa scribbling frantically in an expensive leather bound diary. "Getting a jump on lessons? You still have two days before term resumes. It's late; maybe you should get some rest."

The blond boy's head shot up at the sound of his head of house's voice. "Did they ask you to spy on me over the holiday too? I told you before I don't care about your vow. That's your problem. I was chosen for this task and I don't need your help!"

"Perhaps," Severus said silkily. "But you seem awfully distracted of late. Slipping Slughorn the poisoned mead was sloppy. You took a great risk and were still not successful."

Draco's breathing became ragged and his eyes took on the wild look of a caged animal. "Stupid old goat, how was I supposed to know he would keep it for himself or give it to that blood traitor Weasley!"

"Slughorn may cover it with charm but he is a Slytherin at heart. There was little chance he would give up such an indulgence. You're just lucky it was Weasley who took the first sip and that no one has traced it back to you."

"Soon no one will care if a blood traitor dies. I'll be celebrated as a hero." The boy's pale face and voice held little of their confidence from the beginning of term. He looked worn and frayed at the edges. Deep lines had already started to etch themselves in the young man's forehead and between his pale brows. Severus began to wonder if the boy's heart was really in this mission anymore.

"Very true, but until then we must all play our parts or risk foiling the Dark Lord's plans. Your father has already asked me for my thoughts on how to fix the cabinet. If you were to tell me the rest of your plan I might be able to help you speed things along."

"I told you before, I don't need your help. I have my own help."

"Yes, well I think I might be able to provide slightly more assistance than Crabb and Goyle."

Draco's eyes flashed in momentary panic like a rabbit caught in a poacher's snare. "I don't know what you're talking about and don't go messing about with that cabinet. I wouldn't talk about being distracted if I were you. I've seen you with Ravenhill. I'd focus on your own tasks and leave me to mine!"

"Don't forget who you're talking too, Draco. That mark may prove something to the likes of Crabb and Goyle but I've worn it since before you were born. I only agreed to assist you out of friendship to your parents."

The young man seemed to pale even further. "Well, I'm going to finish this task so your stupid vow is irrelevant." Draco picked up his book and stalked up the stairs to his dormitory.

When the boy was out of sight Severus let out a heavy sigh. Since the start of term he had tried everything he could think of to gain the boy's trust but a mixture of fear, ambition, and undermining from his insane aunt thwarted him at every opportunity. Severus suddenly felt weary, as if this term had lasted decades instead of six months. He checked to make sure everything in the common room and dormitories were as they should be then made his way to his chambers.

Once inside he removed his frock coat and loosened his collar. At once the smell of a simmering cauldron and potion ingredients caught his attention. There was light coming from the direction of his private potion laboratory. A candle was lit and the door was slightly ajar. He frowned. No one should be in his rooms and certainly not in his private lab.

Severus gently pushed the door open a few more inches. Maya sat on one of his tall stools, hunched over a half dozen open potion texts, most of them ancient books he recognized from his own shelves. The one on top was the book on healing spells for dark magic that Nymphadora Tonks had given her for Christmas last year. Her hair was pulled in a haphazard knot with her wand stuck through it. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest and watched her silently. She expertly cut a goldenseal root and crumbled a dried yarrow blossom setting the cauldron to stir absently with a wave of her hand as she returned her attention back to the book.

"I was under the impression that you were staying in the village tonight."

Maya turned with a gasp of surprise. "I am but I had an idea I wanted to try out first."

"Do you often find the middle of the night a good time to brew potions?" Severus surveyed the ingredients she had spread across the work surface. "Goldenseal, yarrow, turmeric. What's this?" He picked up a vile stamped with the St. Mungo's shield and held it to the light. A thick copper colored substance coated the sides.

"That - is Nagini's venom."

"Nagini's what!"

"Her venom. When Arthur was attacked last year, I spoke with one of the healers. None of their anti-venoms worked against it but they were able to isolate the venom in his blood and get a pure sample. That vile holds what I believe is the only sample of her venom that exists."

"Why on earth would you be carrying that beast's venom around?" His eyes swept the counter again taking in the other ingredients she had assembled. A standard blood replenisher sat off to one side, Nagini's venom. Yarrow, goldenseal, and turmeric were used to cause coagulation. "You're trying to create an anti-venom?" he asked astounded.

"Voldemort has used her as a weapon before. We need a way to counteract her bite if you can't get to help."

He was speechless for a moment. The tenderness in her eyes and her persistence in thinking of his safety always amazed him. "You'll need something with incredible healing powers to heal the wound. Her bite is infused with powerful dark magic."

"Yes, well. I've got some ideas on that." Her cheeks tinged with pink and she expected him to scoff at her efforts. Instead he leaned against the counter giving the early phase of the potion in the caldron an approving nod. "I was thinking phoenix tears and vampire blood. Both have enormous healing properties even against dark magic." She waited, holding her breath while he considered her choices.

"Impressive, most mundane potioneers would have chosen unicorn. But where will you find such ingredients? The phoenix tears we can get right here if Fawkes is cooperative, but vampire blood? That's a black market item."

"I have been learning from the best." She gave him a wry smile. "I was hoping Fawkes would help. The vampire blood I'm not so sure yet. Sanguini perhaps?"

"No, he'll never work. You'll need blood from a much older and more powerful vampire than Sanguini to counter the damage Nagini's bite can do." He met her eyes intensely. "Remember, an antidote is more than the sum of its component ingredients. This is a complicated potion you're trying to create. You will need a very special ingredient to bind all the others together as a cohesive whole."

"Yes, I'm still working on that part. First I wanted to make sure the other ingredients wouldn't react badly with each other. Once I can ensure the caldron won't explode then I can focus on a binding agent."

"I wouldn't worry. Your research looks sound. If you can find a way to obtain blood from an ancient vampire the rest should be simple."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." She gave him a tired smile and scrubbed at her eyes with her hands.

Severus took her hands and pulled her gently from the stool. He held her by the elbows, thumbs tracing delicate patterns on the soft skin there. Maya leaned into him, suddenly the rest of her body was as tired as her eyes had been. "Are you sure you don't want to stay here tonight?"

Maya sighed. "No, I really can't. I told Tonks I'd be home hours ago."

"Perhaps you're right. We should be cautions. Draco saw us together at Slughorn's party. He thinks I'm neglecting my other duties and wasting my time with less worthy pursuits."

"He said this aloud and he's still alive? You know there's nothing in the vow that says I can't kill the little ferret."

Severus smiled at her indignation. "Come, if you won't stay at least have a cup of tea before you leave."

"I think I can manage time for tea." She smiled and snaked her arms around his waist, placing a soft kiss on his lips.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: You Need To Harness Pain***

* Harness Pain, (2007). Life With You, The Proclaimers: Craig Morris Reid, Charles Stobo Reid.

** Italicized text: J.K. Rowling, (2007). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 33: The Prince's Tale.

Severus' anger and confusion threatened to erupt from him like a fiery volcano; his earlier conversation with Dumbledore feeding his anger like coal fueling a furnace. Severus had accused Dumbledore of not trusting him, of keeping important information about Potter from him. It infuriated him! Dumbledore had been adamant that he trusted Severus with the very dangerous job of dealing with Voldemort and that he expected Severus to end his life when the time came, but the old man refused to trust him with what he was up to with Potter.

Severus had sat in stunned silence as Dumbledore explained that Severus would need to give Potter specific information just before the end. He would know it was time when the Dark Lord became protective of the snake Nagini. A shiver had run up his spine at the mention of the snake's name and wondered if Maya didn't possess a trace of second sight as well as her other powerful magical skills.

Dumbledore explained that the night the Dark Lord killed Lily, when she shielded the infant with her body and her love, a piece of the Dark Lord's fragmented soul attached itself to the child. In order for the Dark Lord to be defeated once and for all the boy must die and by the Dark Lord's hand. Severus had been awestruck and then horrified. His last words with the headmaster echoed through his mind.

" _You have kept him alive so that he can die at the right moment_?"

" _Don't be shocked Severus. How many men and women have you watched die_?"

" _Lately, only those whom I could not save!"_ Severus stood, blood boiling. " _I have spied for you and lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be to keep Lily Potter's son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter-._ "

" _But this is touching, Severus. Have you grown to care for the boy, after all_?"

" _For him?_ " Severus shouted. " _Expecto Patronum!_ " and from the tip of his wand burst forth not his usual raven but a silver doe, brighter and more lifelike than the raven could ever hope to be. The doe landed on the office floor, bounded around the office and leaped out the window.

Dumbledore watched as the luminescence of the doe dimed and went out. He turned to Severus with tears in his old eyes. " _After all this time?_ "

" _Always_."

He was sickened by Dumbledore's revelation. The hideousness of it as dark and twisted as any evil plot the Dark Lord had devised over the years. The betrayal he felt cut him like a knife. All these years, toiling away teaching, Quirrell, Black, Barty Crouch and Death Eater meetings, all of it was to repay his debt to Lily - to keep her son alive and safe. And now Dumbledore wanted him to sacrifice him like a lamb on an altar. Severus couldn't think of it!

He stalked his way along the edge of the grounds, hoping his long strides would expel his anger. He raised his wand and a fallen log at the edge of the forest exploded into splinters and he felt the greater part of his anger drain away.

Thankfully Maya was patrolling the village tonight with Auror Tonks. It was far better that he be alone tonight until he was able to get his emotions under control. Thinking of Maya reminded Severus of his last words to Dumbledore. " _Always_." The word stuck in his throat. She knew his past now, the worst of it at any rate. She knew that his love for Lily was still very much alive even if the woman was not. So why did that single word feel as if he had been unfaithful to the blue-eyed witch? He rubbed his eyes in frustration and sighed, staring up at the night sky hoping to find some form of absolution in the stars above. When none came he turned back towards the castle at a slower pace. He was certain sleep would not be finding him tonight.

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

Maya made her way quickly through the castle corridors that were once again abuzz with students recently back from Easter Holiday. Dumbledore's message had said she was needed in his office immediately. Her first thought was that another student had been attacked. When she arrived at the stone gargoyles that guarded the staircase to his office she shouted, "Bertie Bots!" The gargoyles jumped apart allowing her to take the stairs up to the office.

She could hear footsteps on the stairs above and as she neared the top she caught a glimpse of black robes disappearing behind the Headmaster's door. She reached the door before it closed and entered just behind Severus.

"I'm glad you've both come. Things are moving quickly now and time is of the essence." Dumbledore sat grim faced behind his desk.

"Of course, I came as soon as I could," Maya said. Severus moved silently to one of the armchairs across from the Headmaster's desk. His face was blank but his eyes were furious. Maya sat herself on the arm of his chair. The headmaster looked at them sadly, his long white beard covering the frown that creased his thin lips.

"Maya, Severus, as you both know Remus has been attempting to infiltrate and recruit some of the werewolves under Greyback to our cause. This has been slow and dangerous work with very little progress."

"Yes, Tonks has been very worried about him," Maya said.

"What does Lupin have to do with Maya and myself, Albus? Get to your point." Severus was dangerously close to losing control. He was still angry with Dumbledore after their last meeting. Maya tried to lay a calming hand to his arm but it had little effect.

"I'm sure you are also both aware that Hagrid's attempts to parley with the giants were also less than successful. If we only had an ally that could counter the werewolves or Giants should Remus fail," Dumbledore said gravely. "Maya, you may be able to give us the strength we need. Charlie Weasley and the other tamers in Romania may provide us a way to use your unique ability."

"You want to train them in coordinated attack!" Maya frowned doubtfully. "You hope to defeat Voldemort in the air as well as on the ground?"

"Very good, Ms. Ladon." Dumbledore smiled at her quick thinking.

"Do you think it can work?" she asked.

"I was hoping you could provide some of those answers for us." Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, good hand stroking his long beard.

"I've only run into a handful in the wild. They're intelligent and I can communicate, but taking orders? That may be a different story."

"Dragons? We are talking about dragons here?" Severus said in disbelief. "Will we be able to control them?"

"We have no idea. No one has ever tried," Dumbledore said. "The colonies keep them contained but that's hardly control, more a matter of managing their hunting range."

"Control? No, I doubt it, but maybe with some work we could convince them to help on their own!" Maya found herself excited about the plan. "It will take time though. This will not be a quick process."

"They could kill her!" Severus spat. Dumbledore raised a challenging brow at his words.

"I'll do it," Maya broke in firmly, interrupting him.

"Maya!" Severus exclaimed. He had not thought she would agree to this preposterous plan. "Don't be ridiculous woman! You can not go traipsing cross eastern Europe as a dragon."

"Don't you understand Sev, that's exactly what I have to do? You, Remus, Tonks, even Potter, you all have your roles to play. I must play mine. If Albus believes I'm the best witch to accomplish this and help end this war then I have to go." She saw the defeated look cross over his face. He looked to Dumbledore who only nodded, though it pained the old man greatly to do so.

Without another word Severus stood and left the office, slamming the door as he went. Maya was certain this discussion would be continued when they were alone.

"It seems that door is getting quite a bit of abuse this year," Dumbledore sighed.

"I'll try to see if I can't bring him around."

"If anyone can, I'm sure you can." He smiled at her but it didn't reach his eyes. He feared the younger wizard would never allow himself to truly live in the present. Maya thought the headmaster looked exceptionally tired as she left the office and made her way down the stairs to finish her patrol.

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

Maya and Severus sat in silence both pretending to eat. Albus had sent Maya instructions. She would leave before the end of term. As they sat at the small dining table in his quarters, her upcoming mission hung in the air like ominous storm clouds.

"You know this trip is pure folly."

"Perhaps, but Dumbledore seems to think it's worth a try." She was wary of arguing with him so soon after they had made peace but she couldn't back down from what she believed was right.

"Yes and sometimes he seems quite mad. He sent Hagrid to parley with the giants and Lupin to recruit werewolves. It's going to be suicide!"

"And what you do every time that mark burns is not?" she shot back angrily, her fork clattering to her plate. She knew she was getting into dangerous waters but pressed on anyway. He seemed to forget that she took care of herself just fine before she met him.

"That is not relevant. I set my path a long time ago. You know that," he said in exasperation.

"You forget this is my fight too. I can't sit around, patrolling and feeling useless knowing what you have to do, not when I can be doing something that can actually help us win. If I can do anything to make sure you're alive at the end of this war I'll do it and not think twice!" She sighed and took a deep breath. "Severus, this mission will take planning. I'll need your help."

His only response was to raise a dark brow at her and she gave him apologetic smile. "Please?"

He was silent for several moments then let out a long sigh. "Where do you suggest we start?"

"Thank you," she said sincerely, grateful for his change of heart. They spent the remainder of the night in front of the fire drinking elf wine and discussing the many preparations that needed to be made for Maya's safe travel.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Unforgiven*

* Unforgiven, (1991). Metallica, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, and Lars Ulrich

The tall windows of the Muggle Studies classroom bathed the room in warm spring sunlight. Empty desks were arranged in rows and an old fashioned rotating blackboard stood on its frame at the front of the room with reading assignments and page numbers  
written across it in crisp neat handwriting. Maya and Tonks stood facing an irate professor Slughorn and an uncomfortable -looking Professor Burbage.

"Really, something must be done. The lavatory has flooded Professor Burbage's classroom and my office three times since the students returned from Easter Holiday. It's outrageous. We never had these problems in the dungeons!" Slughorn boomed.

"Horace," Charity Burbage tried to explain. "It's Myrtle's bathroom, the kids are drawn to her because she's a ghost." She gave Maya and Tonks an apologetic glance.

"That may be, but every time those foolhardy Gryffindors set the girls' toilets a flood, I spend the rest of the day drying out my office and I'd like to know what Dumbledore's security detail is going to do about it?"

"Now keep your hair on Professor! How do you know it was Gryffindors?" Tonks was interrupted by a shriek echoing through the halls.

"Murderer! Murderer!"

"That's Myrtle!" Charity said astonished. "She almost never leaves her toilet!"

"Let's go, Tonks. We better check it out," Maya said.

"This discussion is not over Miss Ravenhill!" Slughorn yelled after them.

"I am well aware of that Horace, but let me make sure someone hasn't actually been murdered first," Maya said sarcastically.

"Old goat," Tonks muttered as they left the classroom.

When they reached the hall Myrtle's pearlescent form darted up in front of them. "It was murder!" she wailed in her high-pitched whine.

"Who Myrtle?" Tonks asked.

"The blond boy. Harry Potter murdered him! In my toilet! It was murder!" she wailed then shot off straight through Maya and Tonks and down the hall behind them, screeching "Murderer!" as she went.

Maya shivered as if her entire body had been plunged into icy water. Tonks cringed at the uncomfortable sensation and gave Maya a bleak look. "I hate it when they do that," she said with a grimace as they ran towards the girls' lavatory that Myrtle usually  
occupied.

The scene that met them reminded Maya of a muggle horror film. The toilets were flooded as usual. Broken sinks and stall doors were scattered over the floor, evidence that a duel had taken place. The water stood an inch deep on the stone floor and the  
metallic tang of blood hung in the air as the water bloomed red. Severus had beaten them to the lavatory and was kneeling beside a pale and partially conscious Draco Malfoy. From deep gashes in his face and robes ran scarlet rivulets of blood.

Harry Potter stood horror struck against the far wall watching helplessly as Severus worked a healing spell on Draco that sounded more like an ancient song. Maya and Tonks looked at the frightened Potter uncertainly. The boy's mind was still reeling from  
what he'd done and when Maya met his eyes his guilt was palpable and projected itself at her almost without her effort with legilimency. She saw an image of a book, a worn and tattered potions book – the boy looked away hurriedly and the image was  
gone.

"Severus, what's happened?" Maya asked. The soft sounds of running water and Severus' muttered healing spells were drowned out as her voice boomed off the stone walls like thunder.

"Auror Tonks, if you would, go and inform Professor McGonagall about what has happened while I escort Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing." Severus' voice was deadly calm and Tonks gave Maya a worried look before nodding and taking off out of the lavatory.  
"Potter, you will remain here until I return."

"Severus, why don't I go with you? I'm sure Mr. Potter is not going anywhere, correct?" Maya looked at the boy standing against the wall with a steely gaze and he nodded his head silently.

"Very well," Severus said tightly. "But Potter you better be here when I return. I'm not finished with you." Maya saw the boy swallow hard, avoiding eye contact with Severus. Draco was starting to come around and Severus was able to get him into a sitting  
position. Together they were able to get the boy to his feet and slowly made their way to the hospital wing. Once they had turned the boy over to Poppy they made their way back down in the direction of Myrtle's lavatory. Severus was silent as they  
walked the corridors. Maya assumed it was his concern for his student and fury at Potter that commanded his attention.

"I have to go finish with Slughorn and Burbage. Can I be reasonably certain that you won't kill Harry Potter today?"

"He may never see the light of day again if I have anything to say about it, but he'll be alive."

"Good, under the circumstances that's all I can ask for." She gave him a wary smile and knocked on Slughorn's office door as Severus continued down the hall towards the lavatory and Harry Potter.

By the end of her conversation with Slughorn, Maya's head ached and she would have given her left eyebrow for a headache draft. She had forgone dinner with Tonks and Savage at the Three Broomsticks in favor of a strong potion and a nap. She awoke twenty  
minutes before her midnight patrol shift was about to start and the pain in her head was slightly better. She walked to the castle, her way lit by the clear night and growing moon. The air was cool on her face but smelled of spring; green grass, blossoming  
trees, and the cool water of the lake.

Maya altered her path in the direction of the dungeons. There was no light from beneath Severus' office door and she assumed he had turned in early after the day's excitement. The first two classrooms were locked and secure but as she neared the end of  
the hall and the NEWT potions classroom, she heard footsteps and the creak of a wooden door. With one hand gripping her wand and the other on the knob, she silently pushed open the door. Severus's stood, back towards her, a dim light illuminating  
from the tip of his wand as he quietly rummaged through a cabinet at the far end of the room.

"Well, well. I seem to have found an intruder."

Severus spun around wand at the ready, dropping a book from his hand. When he realized who had caught him, he relaxed and some of the tension left his shoulders.

"What are you doing in Slughorn's classroom?" Maya asked finding the situation almost comical.

"Looking for an old book I might have left behind," he said vaguely.

"This wouldn't happen to be a potions textbook would it?"

He looked surprised but then recovered quickly. "Of course it's a potions book, that's why I'm looking in the potions classroom."

"Oh, I thought it might have had something to do with the book – the potions book, I saw in Potter's thoughts this afternoon. Potter's mind is frighteningly wide open, I might add. I'm not even sure I used the spell intentionally."

"Really? I hadn't noticed!" His failure to teach the boy Occlumency the previous year continued to be a sore subject.

She ignored his sarcasm. "Why do you suppose Potter would be focused on a potions book moments after using such a dangerous spell? A spell you told me you invented?"

Severus sighed. The witch was intelligent - he had to give her that much. "That, my dear, is what I am here to find out." Maya gave him a raised eyebrow.

"It appears that one of my old potion texts may have gotten mixed in with the rest that belong to the school. Mostly it just has notes in the margins about how to improve potions, no doubt how Potter's been impressing Slughorn all year with his potions  
abilities. I guess in a way I managed to teach the boy something after all," he said darkly. "But it seems there may have been a few notes on spells that I have forgotten were there as well – like Sectumsempra."

"And if you can't find the book?"

"I think after today Potter will be too afraid to try any of the other spells."

"We can hope. How's Draco?"

"He should be fine. Potter used the pure form of the spell, so there will be no complications from dark magic like the ones you experienced. He'll be a little peakier than usual but he'll be fine." Severus looked to the door and waved his hand in its  
direction. The lock clicked and he cast a quick muffliato spell to protect them from any eavesdroppers. Maya's unasked question was written in her eyes. "There was a moment when Malfoy was close to unconsciousness, he left his mind unguarded. In his  
panic I was able to see his plan without his notice."

"Finally!" The relief flooded through her.

"He plans to use the cabinet to bring a raiding party into the castle. His aunt and uncle will be leading the group to ensure that Draco has the opportunity to successfully complete his task. Bellatrix has chosen Death Eaters that are loyal to her, since  
any assistance to Draco was strictly forbidden by the Dark Lord. His task was meant to be a punishment after all. Draco is panicking. He feels he is very close but a final element he needs to repair the cabinet eludes him. He fears he will not finish  
it in time to save his mother's life."

"Are you going to tell Dumbledore?"

"If I know Dumbledore, he suspects already, but yes I planned to meet with him as soon as he returns tomorrow. Do you want to join us?"

"Yes, I think I will. Right now I need to get back to patrolling. Want to keep me company? I don't think your book is here. I'm pretty sure Potter's stashed it by now. He was pretty terrified this afternoon."

Severus gave her a brisk nod. "You're probably right." His long strides brought him to stand by her, he released the locking spell and opened the door. "After you."

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

Dumbledore sat warming his feet by the fire in Severus' dungeon lounge, goblet of spiced mead in his one healthy hand. "I must say, I'm beginning to enjoy these regular chats the three of us have been having this year."

Severus snorted doubtfully from his seat in the armchair across from Dumbledore. Maya had chosen a place on the couch with a cup of tea. She smiled as the two wizards verbally sparred. "I was under the impression we were beginning to be a pain in your  
arse." She laughed.

"Not at all my dear, not at all." Dumbledore laughed with her before turning serious once more. "I think it best to allow Mr. Malfoy's plan to unfold. Severus, was there anything you could glean from the boy's thoughts that would help you give him the  
knowledge he needs to fix the cabinet?"

"Perhaps, but I will have to find a way to get it to him. He will not take advice from me directly."

"I am confident that you will find a way." Dumbledore sighed. "Maya, you will continue with your plans to go to the Dragon Colony in Romania. It has become apparent that Remus' mission has become fruitless. He will be returning by the month's end. Your  
mission has become vital."

"Knowing what Draco's planning why would you send away one of the castle's best wands? He'll be bringing Bellatrix and Rodolphus and Merlin knows who else."

"You want to leave a path open for him," Maya said. "Sending me away will make the castle look undefended."

"I will also be putting out the word that I will be traveling with Mr. Potter. It's our best hope, Severus. We need to control events as much as we can in hopes they will unfold in a way that will secure your position with the Dark Lord and save Mr. Malfoy  
from this terrible fate. Minerva and Severus will be waiting for any signal of the Death Eaters' arrival. When it comes you will signal the Order who will come at once to defend the school. Maya, I will send you word when this will be. I need you  
to return to the castle that night. Professor McGonagall and the Order will need your assistance to return the castle to a state of calm."

"That's a tall order, Headmaster, given the circumstances, but I'll do everything I can," Maya said grimly.

"Good, you will leave for Romania by the end of the week."

"Yes, sir."

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

Maya picked at the slice of pepperoni and mushroom pizza on her plate. She hated keeping Tonks in the dark about what was coming, but Dumbledore was insistent that no one other than Severus and herself were to know about the plot to end his life. The  
headmaster never said anything about Remus' mission being secret though.

"Earth to Maya?" Tonks said with a kind smile.

Shaken from her thoughts, Maya looked up at her friend's worried face. Tonks had been looking thin and pale since the Profit reported that several children had been attacked by a werewolf just before Easter. Maya wasn't sure her news would improve her  
friend's mood but she knew Tonks would want to know.

Maya returned her friend's smile. "Sorry, I had a meeting with Dumbledore today. Every time I meet with him it leaves my head spinning."

"Don't suppose you can talk about any of it? It might help if you could."

"Some things I can't, sorry. But, I did hear a piece of news that is of particular interest to you and Dumbledore said nothing about it being top secret."

Tonks' head shot up and her expresso-colored eyes looked hopeful for the first time in months. "Do tell."

"Remus will be coming home for good by the end of the month."

"He's coming home?" Tonks repeated shakily.

"He is. His mission isn't going well. Tonks, who knows what condition he'll be in mentally when he gets here. I can't imagine Remus Lupin takes well to failure. Dumbledore didn't say anything that would suggest he has been injured physically though. He  
seemed to think Remus would be in fighting condition when he arrives at any rate."

"Fighting condition? What is Dumbledore expecting?"

"Unfortunately I can't say more, but you should be on your guard. I need a favor though. Can you to take my place here at the castle for a while. Do you think Proudfoot, Savage, and Dawlish can handle the village on their own?"

"Yeah, the four of us can cover the village and the castle. What's up, My?"

"Dumbledore thinks I may be able to communicate with the dragons in Charlie's colony. He thinks I may be able to encourage them to fight with us and give us an edge against the giants and werewolves."

"Blimey!" Tonks dropped her slice of pizza back down on her plate. "Never thinks small does he?"

"No, he doesn't. I'm to leave at the end of the week."

"It doesn't give us much time to make changes to the patrolling schedule." Tonks thought for a moment as she pulled a piece of pepperoni from her pizza and chewed slowly. "The Head Boy and Girl, Roger Davies and Samantha Holbrook, are both seventeen.  
Perhaps Dumbledore will let us work them into the schedule as long as they're not doing any shifts past curfew."

"Sounds like a good plan to me, they both seem responsible." Maya hesitated. "Tonks, I need your help with something before I go. Something we'll need to keep quiet."

"Sure thing. But I'm not keeping Snape company for you. I'm not his type." She grinned wickedly at Maya, the closest she had been to her old self in months.

"And aren't we all so much happier for it." Maya laughed. "No, I was thinking of something else. How would I go about finding an ancient vampire, a powerful one?"

"Why in Merlin's name would you want to do that? Those domesticated ones like Sanquini are one thing, not very strong and you can easily subdue them with magic. But the old ones are a totally different story. They get nasty when you drag them out of their  
hidey holes. They like peace and quiet. It's where the muggle legends get the idea that they only come out at night."

"But if I wanted to find one, where would I have to go?"

"I'll have to do some looking. Arthur eats lunch with a bloke in the Department of Dangerous Creatures. They keep records of sightings of the really ancient ones that could cause some mischief."

"Think we can do it in a week?"

Tonks let out a whistle. "A week? That'll be a tall order. And you still haven't answered my question. What do you want with a vampire?"

"I want to convince him to give me a vial of his blood."

Tonks eyes were large as saucers and her mouth dropped open. "His what?"

"I need a vial of vampire blood, from an ancient vampire, and I need to do it quietly. Do you think we can find one in a week?"

"Find an ancient vampire, convince him to give us a vial of his blood and not rip our heads off or drain us dry? Sure no problem, while we're at it we'll destroy Voldemort by ourselves and bring about world peace."

"I knew I could count on you." Tonks flashed Maya a dark look. They finished the remainder of the pizza in thoughtful silence. Maya thought about her upcoming journey and the ominous events that were coming and Tonks tried to work out how she would convince  
Arthur to help her find the location of a vampire that fit Maya's specifications.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Goodbye My Lover*

* Goodbye My Lover, (2004). Back To Bedlam, James Blunt.

The castle was quiet when Maya finished her patrolling shift just after dawn. She sent her patronus to Tonks signaling that the castle was secure. Maya looked at her watch. There was only an hour before the Friday morning staff meeting. Some breakfast was in order – maybe breakfast with her favorite professor if she was lucky.

She entered his chambers to find him finishing the last buttons of his frock coat. He looked up surprised but not displeased at her presence. "Pity, I rather liked the idea of waking you myself," she teased from the doorway.

He gave her a rare smile. "Good morning. Sorry to ruin your fun."

"I just finished my shift and thought you might be up for some breakfast before the meeting?"

He gave her a nod and called for breakfast. They ate toast and tea in silence while Severus read the paper and Maya read a muggle mystery novel she had left near the couch on a previous visit. Afterwards they walked together to the staff meeting; his fingers entwined with hers until they emerged from the dungeons and entered the main part of the castle where they were more likely to be seen by students.

Severus led her into the staff lounge with a hand on the small of her back and took a seat next to hers at the long meeting table. Most of the professors were accustomed to their discrete companionship and seemed to prefer it to the volatile shifts from iciness to angry hostility that had surrounded their relationship before Christmas.

Maya barely listened to the meeting as Dumbledore reviewed important information about upcoming end of term exams and his explanation for her absence. He assured the staff that Tonks and the Aurors would have everything well under control until Maya returned. Maya found herself preoccupied with thoughts of her mission and the dark events ahead. The week had stretched on and Maya had almost lost hope that she and Tonks would be able to find a vampire before she was due to leave on Sunday morning. She had done her own research and found several possible but vague locations. All of the leads she found would require time for additional research – time she did not have.

It didn't help matters that Severus' mood had turned dark and sullen as the time for their separation drew nearer. He had sat and combed over maps of Europe with her, determined to find the best route and to plan out her journey with a combination of apparition and muggle transport to keep from draining her energy in case she needed to defend herself.

Maya shook herself from her thoughts as the meeting came to a close. A few teachers remained seated in the lounge finishing cups of tea and last minute grading before classes began. Severus returned to his paper as Maya finished her tea. Tonks appeared at the doorway looking tired and thin. She scanned the room until she spotted Maya and Severus. She smiled at Maya in greeting and slid into the seat on Maya's other side, eyes flicking in Severus' direction before she spoke.

"Wotcher, My."

"I would've thought you'd have been in bed an hour ago. Can I get you a cup of tea?" Maya asked.

"No thanks, I'm knackered, be heading to bed here in a few. I had to meet up with Arthur before he went into the Ministry this morning." Tonks met Maya's eyes.

"Oh." Maya was careful to keep her voice indifferent.

"I just wanted to let you know, you should dress warmly for patrols tonight, it'll be getting quite cold."

Severus Snape was not a spy for nothing. He narrowed his eyes at the two witches and their bizarre conversation. The women were surely up to something.

"Thanks for the tip," Maya said.

"I'll meet you in the entrance hall after the last class of the day lets out," said Tonks.

"See you then." Maya met the Auror's dark eyes.

Tonks looked at Severus. "Have a good day, Snape." He responded with a humph and a nod of acknowledgement from behind his paper.

When she was gone Severus looked up to find that he and Maya were alone, the other professors having finished their tea and moved on. "Whatever you and the Auror are getting up to tonight, you will try and not get yourself killed, won't you?" he said dryly, face still hidden behind his paper.

Maya considered denying it, but she supposed they were beyond that sort of thing now. The man was a spy; he would know she was lying. Instead she chose to cover with sarcasm. "When have you ever known me to be reckless?"

He snorted, still not looking up at her.

"You have my word. I'll be cautious."

Severus put his paper down and gave her an appraising look, searching her now gray eyes. He finally nodded, convinced by the sincerity he saw there. "Good."

Maya drained her teacup and they both set off to begin their day.

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

Maya looked at her watch as students streamed into the entrance hall and out onto the grounds to enjoy some of the May sun before it was time for dinner. She was starting to sweat in her thermal shirt and jumper with her favorite pair of muggle jeans, her gloves shoved in the back pocket with her wand. She had shrunk her winter traveling cloak and slipped it into a pocket as well.

"Ready?" Tonks asked as she walked up dressed in heavy jeans, snow boots, and a jumper.

"As I'll ever be," Maya said, and they headed out onto the sunlit grounds, making their way to the apparition point just beyond the main gates. When they reached the edge of the school's wards, Tonks turned to Maya and pulled a slip of fabric from her pocket. With a wave of her wand it enlarged into a heavy woolen traveling cloak.

"Did you remember to bring something warm?" Tonks asked.

"Yes, here." Maya brought out her own shrunken cloak.

"Right then. Let's be off. The sooner we get this over with the better." Tonks held out her hand and Maya grasped it tightly.

When there was solid ground under her feet once again, Maya felt herself being buffeted by frigid salty gales of wind that burned her face and tasted of seawater. Her eyes flew open and a wall of white was all that she could register at first. The sea was beneath them at the end of a small slope of icy gravel and silt, the water a churning blanket of white caps as far as she could see. Her eyes stung from the cold and wind and she quickly performed a warming spell before frostbite could burn her cheeks.

"Where are we?" she called over the wind.

Tonks face was pinched as she strained to hear her. "Oodaaq Island at the northern tip of Greenland."

"Greenland!"

"It was the best I could do on such short notice," Tonks said as way of apology.

Maya grimaced against the cold and pulled her cloak tighter around her body. Even with the warming charm the air was numbingly cold. She quickly recalled long forgotten geography lessons that told her they were now well above the Arctic Circle.

"If Arthur's mate is correct, what we're looking for should be just over there." Tonks pointed off father down the shoreline. As they trudged along, the roar of the wind drowned out the sound of the crunching frost and gravel beneath their feet. Maya began to make out the shape of a dwelling. It sat back from the edge of the cliff some fifty yards. At first glance it looked like a traditional fishing lodge, the deep red paint and peaked roof looked out of place surrounded by the frozen and desolate island that had previously been uninhabited.

As they drew nearer, there were subtle hints that this building was more than it seemed. Maya could see a high tech security camera above the front door and a large generator stood next to the building. The materials and technology needed to make the lodge function in such a harsh climate would be very expensive and difficult to get to such a remote location. Maya was certain they were not the first witches to come to Oodaaq Island. She looked at Tonks and nodded in the direction of the security camera. They cautiously approached the oversized front door, wands drawn. Maya gave a boost to her warming spell, lowered her hood and pressed an ordinary looking doorbell.

A small red light blinked on the security camera and seconds later the large door swung slowly open. It was over four inches thick and appeared to be solid steel. 'It must weigh a ton,' Maya thought briefly.

A large man with ginger hair the color of flames and a close-cropped beard of the same shade stood on the other side, confusion lined his face and his eyes held a hard steely edge. The man was massive in his own right. Regardless of the arctic wind coming through the open door, he was dressed only in a long sleeve thermal shirt and loose fitting jeans that did nothing to hide his broad and well-muscled chest and arms. The man was a Viking straight out of her schoolbooks. She blinked back at him once, twice.

"Who are you and what do you want?" he asked in a deep voice that rumbled over the icy wind.

"We're not the first witches to have visited you I'm sure. Only magic could get the materials and technology needed to build this structure in such a remote area."

"I'm not fond of visitors." He said and made to swing the heavy door closed again.

"Wait!" Maya called. "We have a proposition for you!" Her mind raced. Tonks looked at her questioningly. "Please, let us in! Just hear us out!"

The door stopped, and then slowly opened a fraction. "What could you possibly offer me that I could not simply take from you if I wanted? And more importantly, what do you want so badly that you would come all this way to get it?"

"Why don't you invite us in and we can discuss it properly," Maya said meeting the vampire's eyes unflinchingly.

The vampire said nothing but stepped back to allow the witches to enter. Once inside Maya took in the high ceilings and tall wooden pillars, the entire interior was constructed of bright raw timbers. The lodge was indeed the home of a Viking. She turned to face their host at the soft whoosh of the closing door. "May we sit?" Maya asked, gesturing to an expensive leather sofa.

"I would say make yourself comfortable but I'm not expecting you to be here that long," he said shortly as he sat in a leather chair, completely filling it with his tall, broad frame.

To Maya he resembled a bear sniffing at the air, deciding whether it was worth his effort to attack. His pale blue eyes tracked Maya and Tonks like prey, eyes that reminded Maya of the ice outside. She and Tonks followed him and sat on the large leather sofa. "The technology you have is sophisticated enough to survive this extreme climate but this is a wooden structure at its roots, and I can sense no magic protecting the lodge from the elements. I'd wager you have to have supplies brought in regularly to keep this place properly maintained – and I'm guessing you do it with the help of witches or wizards."

"I would hardly use the word help. Your kind do little for free. I pay them handsomely for their service."

"American wizards than?"

"What does it matter to you?" There was iciness in his voice that matched his cold eyes.

"What if I told you, I could give you a spell that would protect this lodge from the harsh arctic wind and sea outside? You would never have to rely on witches again."

"I would still need to rely on gas for the generator and you've yet to say what you would want in return and why you want it so badly you came all the way here to get it."

"We may be able to spell the generator as well, but if you're not interested-"

Tonks watched Maya from the corner of her eye, unwilling to take her eyes from the lethal vampire in front of them. They were walking a very thin line between risky and foolhardy.

"You have my attention," he said, resting his elbows on the arms of the chair, pressing his fingertips together in front of him. "But you haven't answered my questions."

Maya took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and Tonks looked nervous for the first time. "What we want – is a vial of your blood."

The vampire sprung before either of them could blink. His hand clamped around Maya's neck, thumb at the pulse point there. Tonks jumped to her feet, wand out and halfway through a curse when Maya stilled her with a hand. The vampire was silent and Maya counted as her heart beat loudly in her ears.

"I could drain you dry right here and not leave so much as a drop on the Rya rug."

Maya looked down at the traditional shaggy carpet under their feet. The antique carpet was pristine in neutral shades of cream and grey. Maya tried to swallow around the vampire's hand clamped around her throat.

"Maya?" Tonks asked in question and warning, wand still leveled at the vampire.

The vampire ignored Tonks. "My blood? Why would two witches come to the ends of the earth to obtain a sample of my blood? A single vial would not be nearly enough to create one of my kind or to be an effective poison." His piercing blue eyes bored into hers furiously, pinning Maya to her seat as effectively as his vice-like grip around her neck.

"We have no desire to create a vampire or to poison anyone. Quite the opposite actually – I want your blood for its healing properties. I'm trying to make a healing potion to counter dark magic." Maya's voice was strained and oddly raspy to her ears. She tried to quiet the rush of fear and adrenaline she felt. Tonks' head swiveled slowly from the vampire to Maya and her eyes widened in surprise.

Some of the ferociousness diminished from the vampires eyes and he loosened his grip on her a fraction. "A potion? Surely you could find something else, something easier to obtain. How do you know I won't kill you after I have what you offer?"

"It's a risk I'm willing to take," Maya said and muttered a silent apology to Severus for her recklessness.

The vampire seemed to consider her explanation. His grip loosened yet another fraction and the thumb at her pulse stroked her neck as he brought his face close to hers. "And would you be willing to pay my price?" he whispered into her ear. The feel of his cool breath on her neck lit a fire in her belly and sent her heart hammering in her chest. The vampire grinned appreciatively and his cool lips caressed the pulsepoint where his thumb had been. Maya's body gave an involuntary shudder.

Before she realized what was happening his lips moved to hers, leaving frostbite on her skin and fire in her veins. Despite the eagerness of her body's response, Maya couldn't bring herself to kiss him back. Guilt tugged at her as she remembered why she was on this frozen island in the first place.

Slowly he released his hold on her neck, so slowly if felt like he was relaxing one muscle at a time. His hand went to her hair and pulled her head back. "The body may be willing but I don't think the heart would be so easily swayed," he whispered in her ear.

Maya gulped when he finally lowered his hand and took a step away. She was sure his grip would leave bruises in the morning. She would have to heal them before Severus could see them.

Once the vampire was back in his leather chair, Tonks grasped Maya's hand. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Tonks." Maya kept her eyes trained on the vampire, meeting his icy eyes. "So, do we have a bargain."

The vampire's gaze moved from Maya to Tonks. "I am not so out of touch with the rest of the world that I am unaware of the war among your kind. My brethren have told me of the Dark One's recruitment of the giants and werewolves." The vampire frowned as he mentioned the other creatures, voice coated in disdain. "He has attempted to sway some of the younger vampires who are foolish enough to believe in his promise of power. They are impatient and don't realize that what they will have in time will be much more powerful than anything the Dark One can offer.

He only wishes to have us under his thumb as well the giants and mangy werewolves. He wishes to use us and has no concept that we are as old as time itself, no understanding of what true power is."

Tonks bristled at the mention of the werewolves and the vampire's tone of disgust. Maya put a calming hand on her friend's arm. "Will you help us?"

"You are fighting with the Light One yes? Never mind I can see it for myself."

"Yes. We fight with Dumbledore," Maya said, trying to sound calm. The difficulty in dealing with beings that were centuries old was that they had no sense of time or urgency.

"I'll give you what you seek, but on one condition. I'll take your spells. I will enjoy not having to rely on witches – but I want something else. Blood for blood."

"What?" Maya asked in confusion and she could feel Tonks tense next to her.

"I want a vial of your witch's blood."

Maya's mind raced through all of her knowledge on vampires, potions, and defense against the dark arts for any possible downside to giving him her blood. The most pressing danger appeared to be opening a vein in the presence of such a powerful vampire. The pain and bruises blossoming on her throat reminded her of how fast he could strike. She quickly looked to Tonks, silently asking the Auror for her opinion.

Tonks' thoughts were already running through everything she had learned at Hogwarts and in her Auror training. She couldn't think of a risk outside the immediate danger of the vampire double crossing them or losing control. She shrugged, unable to come up with a way around the vampire's request.

"Agreed," Maya said voice steadier then she felt.

"Why don't we get the unpleasantness out of the way first," the vampire said, eyes moving to the pulse point in her neck greedily.

"Do you have two glasses?"

"Water is not usually on the menu here but I think I might have something that will work." He stood and padded his way to a walk-in kitchen with what Maya realized for the first time were bare feet. When he returned he was carrying two crystal wine glasses. "Will these do?"

"Yes, they will do nicely." Maya stood and transfigured the wine glasses into two potion vials.

"You first," The vampire said giving her a shrewd smile and Maya felt her pulse quicken. He knew he had the upper hand.

With Tonks close at her side, ready to act at the slightest flinch from the vampire, Maya pulled up her sleeve and raised her wand, making a small incision just below the elbow. With a wave of her hand one vial levitated, hovering just below her outstretched arm and captured the steady rivulet of crimson fluid.

The vampire's nostrils flared and his breathing quickened. His muscles became taunt but he never moved from his place. Maya risked a look at his face. His pupils had dilated to the point that his eyes looked almost black and they never wavered from the stream of blood flowing from her open vein to the vial below. When the vial was full Maya healed the incision on her arm and stoppered the vial. She placed the vial on the coffee table that lay between the sofa and chair and met the vampire's inky gaze.

"Now it's your turn." She slowly stepped around the coffee table and stood in front of him. Tonks grip on her wand tightened painfully, ready to incinerate the vampire if he so much as twitched.

He rolled up a sleeve to the elbow. Maya repeated the process until the second vial was filled with the vampire's dark red blood. The thick fluid looked almost black as it coated the sides of the vial. She stoppered it and placed it inside her cloak.

"Now, we will set the spells we promised. Then we'll leave you to your solitude."

When they were finished Maya felt it would be a century at least before the lodge showed the slightest erosion from the elements. As they prepared to leave she stopped and eyed the vampire thoughtfully.

"Thank you. You didn't have to accept my offer."

"It served my purpose," he said dismissively.

"May I know the name of the vampire who has my blood?"

"You may call me Magnus," he said as they reached the door.

"Thank you again, Magnus. I'm Maya," she reached out a hand and it disappeared in his larger one. She was reminded of a bear claw and fought the panicked urge to pull her hand back.

He held it firmly for a moment and then released it and smiled smugly. "Perhaps when your war is over we will meet again."

"Maya we really must be getting back," Tonks said eager to put the vampire and Greenland behind them.

Maya nodded her head. "Perhaps. Thank you." She turned and soon they outside with the thick steel door hissing closed behind them. Maya and Tonks walked a few meters away then vanished with a pop that was swallowed by the arctic wind. When Maya opened her eyes the balmy spring air was caressing her face and she could see the silhouette of Hogwarts against the moonlit sky.

"A potion ingredient? Can you please tell me why we just walked through an arctic hurricane and risked being drained dry by a two thousand year old vampire for a potion ingredient?" Tonks couldn't keep the tone of indignation from seeping into her voice. "What the hell are you brewing?"

Maya glanced around to make sure no one was in hearing distance and cast a muffliato spell for good measure. "It's an anti-venom potion – for Nagini." Maya felt a tug of guilt at asking Tonks to help her with such a risky task.

"Nagini?" Tonks asked as they followed the path that lead down to Hogsmeade.

"Voldemort's snake, the one that attacked Arthur last year. He calls her Nagini. I'm trying to come up with an anti-venom and it needed a healing ingredient that could withstand the dark magic that Voldemort has used on the snake."

"You're making it for Severus." Tonks said, a statement not a question and she thought about how much she had wished Remus would have let her help him.

"I can't be there to have his back, Tonks. I can't leave him out there alone. If I can do something - anything, that could help keep him alive, I have to try. I shouldn't have asked you to risk your life coming with me."

"No. I'm glad you did. I know you would have done the same for me if Remus would have let me help him." Tonks walked in silence for a while lost in thoughts about Remus as they reached the edge of the village and followed the high street into town toward their flat.

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Tonks entered the Great Hall the next morning holding a piece of parchment from the library. Severus looked up from his tea and toast at the sound of her approach. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me what you two were up to last night?" he asked Maya, who sat next to him, finishing her tea.

"Perhaps someday. If you ask very nicely." She gave him a cheeky grin and turned her attention to Tonks as the Auror slid into a seat next to Maya. "Morning Tonks." Maya winced with guilt at the dark circles that had smudged under Tonks tired eyes. "Were you able to get any sleep at all?"

"I wanted to do a little research before my shift today. What I was looking for was in the restricted section." She slid the parchment over to Maya.

Maya scanned Tonks' hand written notes from _Vampires: A Practical Guide_. Tonks notes' were taken from the chapter titled; _The Five Senses: What Changes When One Becomes a Vampire?_ Below the chapter tile was a bulleted list.

 _* Sight, Smell, Touch, Hearing are drastically enhanced by the transition to vampire._

 _* TASTE is almost totally destroyed – except in the case of blood._

 _* Muggle or non-magical blood may sustain a vampire and will satisfy a vampire's_ _urge for blood._

 _* Magical blood or blood from a witch or wizard has an intoxicating effect on most vampires and can become habit forming. Alcohol and other intoxicating substances have little effect on vampires._

Maya stared at Tonks, disbelief etched on her face. "You're joking? He wanted a cocktail?"

Tonks giggled unable to keep a straight face any longer. "'fraid so. His version of a martini perhaps but otherwise there doesn't seem to be any other risks."

"Well that's a relief." Maya folded the parchment and placed it in her back pocket.

Severus had followed their conversation and frowned at the mention of risks. The large tower clock chimed nine and he returned his empty tea cup to its saucer. "I better be on my way, I have patrols this morning as you know." He discretely gave her knee a squeeze out of sight of students before standing. "I will see you this evening, yes?"

"Yes, maybe we could do dinner?" Maya was acutely aware of the fact that they would not see each other for several weeks, longer if Severus ended up on the run.

He nodded. "Until tonight then. Auror Tonks, good morning," he said and turned to leave the hall.

"I should go. I have to finish packing. Tomorrow morning is going to come too soon."

"Come on, I'll give you a hand," Tonks said and they walked together out of the castle.

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One of the things Maya loved about nights in the dungeons with Severus was that in its darkness she could convince herself that their time together would never end. She wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of this Sunday morning in his bed, the darkness of the dungeon shielding them from the outside world like a cocoon. A clock chimed six from somewhere in his rooms and Maya knew she couldn't dawdle any longer. She planned to leave at nine, taking the train to London. Slowly she dragged herself from the warmth of Severus' arms and the heavy Slytherin green duvet. With a wave of her hand she stoked the fire and slid her arms into one of Severus' white shirts, mostly because it smelled like him and she wanted to keep a piece of him close to her as long as possible.

Severus opened his eyes to the sight of her buttoning his shirt in the glow of the fire, her mess of curls free and wild around her face. He couldn't name the strong emotion that overcame him at the sight of her there, but it took his breath away. He watched as she laid out a pair of muggle jeans, the invisibility cloak he had given her, her wand, and a knapsack that had been spelled with an extension charm. He was surprised to see that she had also included the silver dagger that he had given her in case she ran into werewolves. She had told him he was fussing like an old woman, that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. Severus stood, taking his robe from the chair. There was another small velvet drawstring bag he hadn't seen the night before. She slid a vial with a thick dark substance into it before pulling the strings tight.

Maya was lost in her thoughts and didn't hear him approach. He wrapped his arms around her from behind resting his chin on her shoulder, pulling her against him. "What's that?" he said softly as she pulled the drawstring tight.

She placed her arms over his and debated whether or not to tell him the truth. She didn't want a lecture about her reckless encounter with the vampire, but he deserved the truth after everything he had done to protect her over the last year. "If I have time, I want to work on the anti-venom potion."

He stiffened behind her. "So you found the remaining ingredients?" His thoughts quickly went to her recent trip with the Auror two nights before.

She opened the drawstring bag and pulled out the vial of vampire blood, holding it up for him to see. "Not all of them, but Tonks and I managed to find a vampire that should work." He took it in one hand and eyed the dark crimson substance in the firelight.

"I thought you were going to avoid being reckless. The vampire wanted your blood in return?"

"Yes, one vial. Blood for blood." She held her breath, waiting for his reaction.

"I assume you and the Auror realize that magical blood can be addictive for vampires?" She nodded. "As long as he doesn't get a taste for you, most of the risk should be behind you." He nipped at her neck and Maya couldn't stop the shudder that ran through her body. He held her tighter, then handed the vial back to her and she returned it to the velvet bag. He let her go, and she regretted the loss of his warmth.

They ate breakfast in front of the fire. Severus had his usual tea and toast but insisted that Maya eat something more substantial on the grounds that she had no idea when her next good meal might be. Under his orders Dugal brought her a full English breakfast. Maya made her way through the eggs, sausage, and mushrooms, picked at a few tomatoes and passed on the beans and pudding all together feeling that she may never have to eat again. After breakfast she slid into a pair of comfortably worn jeans, rolling the sleeves of his white shirt up to her elbows. She checked her rucksack one last time just to be sure she had everything.

"Don't you have your own clothes?" he teased her when he saw she meant to keep his shirt.

"You're not getting it back so don't ask." She wrinkled her nose at him as she picked up her dragon and serpent pendant, reaching up to fasten it under her hair. He took it from her hands and secured the clasp. She turned and looked up at him, biting her lip at the irrational thought that if they didn't say goodbye somehow the inevitable wouldn't happen.

He sighed deeply, bending to place light kisses on her forehead, nose and finally her lips. She tried to memorize everything about him, the spicy herbal scent of his soap and aftershave, the way he tasted of tea and strawberry jam, the way his touch was always warm against her skin, the sound of his baritone voice rumbling in her ears and through her chest. When they broke apart she drew her arms around his neck. Her head rested against his chest, listening to his heartbeat next to her ear. His arms instinctively went around her waist pulling her tightly against him.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear. "Remember that if – Just remember." She broke off not wanting to think about how different things would be when she returned.

He held her even tighter and placed a kiss at her temple. "Do not be reckless and come home in one piece." His words were so soft she almost missed them.

"Hey, this is me remember. I'm always careful."

"That's what I'm afraid of," he said in exasperation.

"I'll be kicking ass and taking names. Is that better?" she smirked up at him.

"You are so American, and you'll be the death of me." Severus reached up and took her arms from around his neck. He removed a vial from his pocket and placed it in her hand, closing her fingers around it.

"What's this?" she asked and examined the pearly substance.

"Phoenix tears. Fawkes was more than willing to give them up for you." He gave her a crooked smile.

She brought her arms around his neck again, placing a kiss first at his jaw and then on his lips. "Thank you, and I'll be careful. I promise."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Where Dragons Dwell***

* Where Dragons Dwell, (2005). From Mars to Sirius, Gojira, Joseph Duplantier & Christian Andreu.

Dusk was approaching and Maya quickened her pace. She stamped her feet to warm them from the evening chill that had seeped into her bones. The nocturnal creatures of the forest came to life around her and prepared for the night's hunt. The mountains could be dangerous at night and she wanted to reach the outskirts of the village before full darkness blanketed the forest.

Maya's journey across Eastern Europe had not been an easy one, both the rugged terrain and bandits made travel precarious. She had been ambushed by a pack of werewolves a few days before and had managed to evade Death Eaters near Prague and Budapest, only to enter the Carpathian mountains where vampires were known to call home. If she were captured or bitten she risked being changed forever and spending a lifetime attempting to remember what it was like to feel human. Slowly and carefully she wound her way closer to the village with the dragon colony nestled high in the mountains above.

Her thoughts went to Severus and she wondered what he was doing. Was he in his office grading? Or patroling? Or had been called to the Dark Lord's side? A shiver ran down Maya's spine and she tried to clear her mind and think of happier things. She found that she missed his presensance and longed to be back in his dungeon chambers, his chest warm and firm at her back. In the night, especially those few moments between sleep and wakefulness she could feel his lips on hers and catch the faint smell of his soap.

The smell of a fireplace a roasting meat caught Maya's attention and she could hear the familiar sounds of a town in the distance. She had made it to the edge of the village. Maya peered into the darkness to make sure she was alone on the path and slipped behind a large tree at the edge of the forest. With a turn she vanished into thin air and when she opened her eyes she stood in the thinning brush. Just in front of her the forest opened into a large clearing with several small thatch roofed huts and a large paddock. The roar of dragons echoed in the night and the smell of sulfur hung in the air. Maya allowed herself one last thought of Severus before she moved out into the clearing and sent her patronus to find Charlie Weasley.

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Charlie Weasley appeared from around the side of a large hut. He greeted her with a broad smile and was accompanied by a witch and wizard dressed in leather pants and work shirts.

"Maya?" Charlie asked unsure about her dingy blond hair and brown eyes.

"Yes it's me. I had to conceal my identity for the journey. Dumbledore's orders."

"Dumbledore's message just arrived yesterday." He gave her a quick embrace and then pulled back. " _He_ knows you're here right? I don't want to end up getting hexed again."

"Yes, he knows I'm here." Maya smiled. "And besides he didn't hex you last time." The witch and wizard stepped forward and Maya eyed them carefully.

"Don't fret, they're Order members," Charlie said following her eyes. "In fact, all five tamers here at camp are members so feel free to get comfortable." He gestured to her hair and eyes.

"Thanks." Maya released the transfiguration spell, feeling much more comfortable in her own skin.

"Let me introduce you. This is Sorina and Iain. They're two of my best and will be helping us with Dumbledore's plan."

"Pleasure," Maya said.

The witch, a tall cool brunette with vivid golden brown eyes, was almost a foot taller than Maya. "Pleasure indeed. What you are attempting is risky at best. I'm intrigued to find out if we'll succeed," the witch said, her Romanian accent giving her voice a mystical sound.

"I've never attempted anything remotely like this so I have no idea what to expect," Maya said honestly. "I look forward to the challenge though."

"And this gent over here is Iain. We were mates at Hogwarts," Charlie said and the blond-haired wizard stepped up, taking Maya's hand. "Careful Iain, she has a bloke back home that knows more spells and potions then Merlin himself." He was careful to leave Snape's name out of it, figuring that it was Maya's tale to tell.

"Yes, but unlike you, I'm just bein' polite." The Scottish wizard gave Charlie a cheeky smile showing perfect teeth as his hazel eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Good to meet you, Iain," Maya said, laughing.

"Likewise. So truly, you're an animagus? A dragon animagus?"

"Indeed I am." She smiled. "Swedish Shortsnout."

"Bloody hell! I thought Charlie was taking the piss when he told us." Iain laughed. "So you're really going to try this?"

"Yep."

"She's got rocks this one has," Iain said to Charlie, clearly impressed.

"Yeah, well you'd know she'd have to if you saw her boyfriend."

"Charlie, I'll hex you myself if you don't quit." She was laughing though.

"Come on, let's get some dinner while we talk about this plan of Dumbledore's," Sorina said.

"I quite agree," Maya said and followed Sorina towards the hut, leaving the two wizards to follow after them. They sat around a long table eating cheese and bread, sipping slowly at tankards of warm mead and coffee.

"The first challenge will be getting them to acknowledge you as part of the colony. Without that they won't let you near them. You have to establish dominance," Charlie said, sipping coffee from an old chipped mug with his legs propped up on an empty chair.

"That will mean taking on the largest dragon in the colony," Sorina said.

"Norbert," Iain agreed, shaking his head with a whistle.

"Who's Norbert?" Maya asked.

"Norbert is a Ridgeback."

Maya's brows shot up. She hadn't encountered a Ridgeback in person but knew their ferocious reputation.

"He used to belong to Hagrid, hatched him from an egg he did. Charlie and I had to smuggle him out of the grounds before he could be discovered and Hagrid got the sack," Iain said.

"I can only imagine." Maya laughed.

"They were foolish," Sorina scolded. "What if he had gotten loose? The two of you might not have been able to get him back if he had made it into that forest."

"Right. So first order of business is getting Norbert to accept me. That means proving my worth to a Ridgeback," Maya said, changing the subject.

"That's about the size of it. You up for it?" Charlie asked, suddenly serious.

"Yeah, I'm up for it. We'll start in the morning," Maya said confidently.

"Alright then. Tomorrow will be a tough day. We better turn in. Maya, there's a tent set up for you. It still gets right cold up here in the mountains at night so you might want to set a warming charm."

"I can show you to your tent," Sorina said, standing and pushing her chair in.

"Thank you, all of you." Maya stood and followed Sorina out of the hut into the chilly mountain night.

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Maya scratched at the dusty ground with a sharp taloned foot. The massive Ridgeback mimicked her and smacked the ground with his tail. She spread her leathery blue wings and beat at the air, gusting wind and dust across the paddock. She was the challenger. If she wanted respect and acceptance in the colony she would have to attack first. Norbert's sheer size made this difficult.

The enormous Norwegian Ridgeback stood in the paddock, tail twitching, golden eyes narrowed to slits, nostrils pluming with smoke. The smell and taste of sulfur burned the back of Maya's throat and eyes, but she couldn't stop. With the help of Charlie, Sorina and Iain, she had spent weeks attempting to get the Ridgeback to accept her as part of the colony with no success. Norbert could sense that she was different from the other dragons. If she didn't make some progress soon she might be forced to acquiesce to Sorina's flippant idea that she eat raw venison or rub her clothing down with the raw meat.

Part of Maya's difficulty was that she had very little experience moving as a dragon. Flying came naturally enough and in the air she could maneuver as well as the rest of the dragons in the colony, but on the ground she was clumsy and Norbert pinned her every time. Maya held the great dragon's gaze. Dropping eye contact had been her first mistake and she nearly lost her head.

"Good! Keep eye contact and let him get a look at your wings!" Charlie shouted.

Maya wanted to yell back that she wasn't trying to court the beast but of course she couldn't speak. Instead she blew a plume of smoke and fire toward the red-headed tamer and refocused her attention on the dragon in front of her.

"Stay low!" shouted Iain from where he and Sorina watched at the gate of the paddock.

Maya lowered her long neck in a show of respect but also to protect her underbelly. She twitched her tail again, slamming the ground with thunderous force. Norbert sent a blistering inferno of flames over her head and she used the distraction to snap at a forefoot with her powerful jaws. She could hear Iain and Charlie cheering her on. The Ridgeback had anticipated her attack and before she could pull back, his enormous tail had swung around, colliding with her flank. Maya went sprawling on her side, one wing pinned painfully under her. Norbert pressed his advantage and reared up onto his powerful hind legs, towering over her, blocking out the sun. He beat his wings and shook the ground with an ear splitting roar.

And then Maya saw it, the weakness that his over confidence had exposed. She sprang at the larger dragon catching him off balance, sinking her talons deep into his exposed underbelly. The larger dragon roared with shock and pain and birds flew from the trees in terror. He whipped his long neck around, fangs snapping closed around the scaled hide of her shoulder as he toppled over taking Maya with him. Maya scratched and clawed at the dragon's underbelly struggling to keep her grip on him.

"You've got him! Now hold on!" Charlie shouted.

The Ridgeback rolled again, attempting to knock Maya's grip loose. She held tight. The pain ripped through her shoulder as his teeth penetrated her scaled armor. Her nostrils flared at the smell of her own blood. While his attention was focused on her sharp claws, Maya reached out and caught the dragon at the base of his long neck with her jaws. He kicked at her with piston-like legs, trying with all of his might to throw her loose or weaken her grip on his neck, but Maya held tight. She dug her claws in deeper as they writhed, snapped and clawed on the ground trying to gain a fraction of an advantage over their opponent.

Maya could feel her strength draining. Then Norbert released her shoulder. She could hear cheers from the dragon tamers. Although she had not won the challenge out right, Maya had won the dragon's respect – she would now be accepted as part of the colony. Norbert reared on his back legs and let loose a mighty bellow, flames erupting high in the air. Maya mimicked him, flapping her wings in a salute. He returned to the ground and Maya knew it was safe to do the same. She made her way back to the paddock fence, transforming as she reached it.

Once transformed the dragon's bite encompassed her entire shoulder. She winced, the searing pain cutting through her like a knife.

"We must take a look at that shoulder." Sorina frowned. "The sooner we heal it the better the muscle with knit together." Maya gritted her teeth against the pain and nodded silently, allowing Sorina and Charlie to help her back to the hut.

"Iain, go pull the medical kit out while Sorina and I get her back to the office," Charlie called to the other wizard. He returned his attention to Maya who was making a valiant effort of supporting her own weight. "That was amazing. I never would have thought it was possible if I hadn't seen it."

"It didn't seem so impressive from where I was," Maya grimaced.

Inside the colony's small office hut, Sorina took the medical kit and pulled out several vials and her wand from her back pocket. "The talon punctures are superficial." Maya winced at the stinging sensation as the witch healed the wounds quickly with a wave of her wand. "However, dragon bites are highly acidic. We need to irrigate it quickly or it will leave a bad scar. Trust me - you'll want this."

Sorina pushed a pain relieving potion into Maya's hand and she downed it in one go. Sorina irrigated Maya's wounded shoulder with an augmenti charm. Even with the potion, the pain was excruciating and Maya grit her teeth to keep from screaming. She reached out and grasped at Charlie's hand afraid she would pass out. With the wound clean, Sorina muttered a healing spell and the pain lessened. Maya's skin tingled and itched like mad as her muscles and flesh knit back together. When Sorina was finished Maya flexed and stretched her arm.

"That's so much better. Thank you Sorina!"

"You're welcome. I don't see any hint of scar either. It looks like we were able to clean it out in time." Sorina examined her work with a look of confident pride. "You should be as good as new now, but I would get some rest, let those muscles and tendons rest before you try again."

"A rest sounds like a marvelous idea. I think I'll head to my tent for a bit. See you all at dinner." Maya stood from her seat tentatively flexing and rotating her shoulder as she went. Some sleep would do all of her aching muscles some good.

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Severus lay on the couch in his sitting room, head resting on the arm. He had taken a headache potion after his fifth year class and hoped to sleep it off through his planning period before dinner. OWLS were a few weeks away and the students' anxiety levels were reaching epic proportions. Three of his students had gone to the hospital wing already this week with panic attacks and it was only Wednesday. Another had almost blown himself up when he incorrectly performed a counter curse and it backfired on him in class. It had taken hours for the smell of smoke and soot to clear from his classroom. Severus felt he could only predict an Excellent or Outstanding score for a handful of his students which only added to his stress level. It also didn't help matters that his thoughts frequently drifted to Maya and Romania. He had not had any word from her since her departure weeks ago. He shifted restlessly in his sleep then shot up, instantly awake, gasping in pain. His hand went to his shoulder. It was on fire, pain ripped through the flesh and down his arm.

It took him only a second to realize he was not the one wounded and his thoughts returned to the dream he had been having before he woke. Maya. He couldn't explain it, any more than he could explain how they seemed to be able to use legilimency with each other without eye contact or how she was able to sense the emotional turmoil he had felt the night Dumbledore had told him that Potter must die. He didn't know how, but he knew the pain was hers. Maya had been injured somewhere in Romania. He crossed the room to the fireplace, throwing in a handful of floo powder. "Headmaster's office!" Seconds later he was staring at the headmaster who was sitting in an armchair in front of his office fireplace.

"Severus, what brings this visit?" The headmaster asked pleasantly, then furrowed his brow at the stormy look on the younger man's face. "Severus, what's happened?"

"Have you heard anything from Romania?"

"No, but I haven't expected any news this soon. Maya has only been gone a few weeks. Her task is a complicated one."

"You need to pull her out now! Before she ends up getting herself killed."

"Severus, you know my feelings on the matter. This could be too important."

"She's only managing to get herself injured. You ask the impossible!"

Dumbledore eyed him shrewdly. "How do you know she is in danger? Has she contacted you with a report?"

"I just know! I felt –" He stopped, realizing he had said too much.

"You felt what?"

Severus squirmed slightly under the headmasters penetrating gaze, feeling much like a student again. "Never mind. The point is, she's only getting herself injured trying to accomplish your impossible task."

"What did you feel, Severus?"

"Only that she's in pain, she's been injured. I have said that already. You need to bring her home now!"

"You can feel her pain?" The older wizard looked curious now, stroking his long beard and eyeing Severus as if they were consulting on a very interesting experiment.

"Yes," Severus said tightly. "We can feel strong emotions too, and something similar to legilimency that does not rely on a spell or eye contact."

"How long has this been going on?"

"We're not certain, since just before Christmas, likely since the marks bonded." Severus squirmed as was his habit when discussions turned to his personal life.

"How very interesting."

"Did you hear what I said, Albus? She's been badly hurt, we need to bring her home!" Severus's patience was wearing thin with the eccentric headmaster.

Dumbledore sighed tiredly. "Severus, the lady is not your wife."

"What?" Severus's head jerked in Dumbledore's direction so fast he was certain his neck had snapped. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"Unless the lady is your wife, you are not entitled to speak for her," Dumbledore said simply.

"Don't push me, Albus!" He was furious with the old man. It had been his idea, his pushing and meddling, encouraging him to get closer to the witch and now he was throwing it back in his face!

"If she were seriously injured or had the mission failed I would have received word from Charlie Weasley." Dumbledore attempted to lay Severus's fears to rest. "Until Maya herself has given up, we must trust in her. For now you and I have more pressing matters to attend to. I will be traveling soon, and Mr. Potter will be accompanying me." Dumbledore gave Severus a meaningful look. Severus felt the life drain from his face and suddenly he felt physically and mentally exhausted. His tall frame collapsed into one of the worn chairs in front of the headmaster's desk.

"I'm afraid the time has come, my young friend."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, the time is now if we would like to gain any sort of advantage."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: The Traitor***

* The Traitor, (1979). Recent Songs, Leonard Cohen.

May turned to June and a buzz of excitement infected the castle as end of term exams approached. Severus Snape made rounds through his classroom as his seventh year students worked in pairs to practice for their NEWT practical exams. He was reasonably satisfied that all but one or two would be receiving passing marks. "Careful Davies, you don't need to blow a hole through my wall! And Chang, stop being polite, this is supposed to be a duel!"

As he walked through the room his conversation with Dumbledore the previous night played through his mind. The two men had sat by the fire discussing how to keep the students safe when Draco's plan was put into action and Death Eaters entered the castle. Severus, now that he knew the full extent of Draco's plans, had been able to slip past Malfoy's alarms and enter the room of requirement to inspect the cabinet for himself. The repairs were indeed almost complete and Severus was able to deduce what still needed to be done. He was able to leave the information Draco needed to make the final repairs where the boy could find it and be none-the-wiser that his Head of House had actually assisted him in his success. Severus had been grateful for these tasks because they had taken his mind off the fact that Maya had been gone nearly six weeks with no word. It had been a fortnight since he had woken from the dream in searing pain, knowing that Maya had been injured. He could only trust in Dumbledore that if she were seriously injured Weasley or someone else from the dragon colony would have sent word.

Dumbledore had also spent time reviewing Severus's memories, deciding what Harry Potter would be told when the time came and which memories would be most likely to prove to Potter the truth of what Snape must tell him. They also discussed Dumbledore's wishes for the school after he was gone. Hogwarts without Dumbledore seemed surreal to Severus, like a nightmare that could not be true. But Dumbledore was emphatic that when he gave the word, his plans were to be followed to the letter and that included his own death at Severus's hands.

The bell rang marking the end of class. "Don't forget you have the chapter on elemental magic due for Friday and a five foot essay on wandless magic for next week. No late assignments will be accepted." The seventh years filed out of the classroom, too tired from cramming for their NEWTs to complain about the long assignment while sixth year students cued up in the hall to enter. Without a doubt this was the class he dreaded the most. Having Potter, Weasley, and Granger – The Golden Trio – in one class while trying to keep the Gryffindors and Slytherins from killing one another was enough to give him a blinding headache at the end of every class. He glanced up as the sixth years started to enter, Hermione Granger at the front of the cue as always, and was surprised to see Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies professor, standing to one side of the doorway.

"Severus, do you have a moment?" They had never spoken much in the past as his classroom and office had always been in the dungeons on the opposite side of the castle from most of the other teachers' classes. But this now her room was just down the hall and she had been cordial and polite all year.

"Of course. What is it?" he asked, inviting her into the classroom. "Wands out! Begin reviewing the necessary elements of the patronus charm," he barked at the sixth years straggling in the classroom.

Professor Burbage gave a small jump at his loud voice but smiled at him kindly. "Dumbledore wanted me to let you know that the staff meeting has been canceled for today, but he wants to meet with you after dinner."

Severus could see Draco's eyes flick in their direction at the mention of the headmaster and saw this as perfect timing. A discrete non-verbal spell would be enough to allow Draco alone to overhear the parts of Severus' conversation with Burbage that he wanted him to hear. "Thank you for the message. Did Dumbledore say what it was about?"

"No, just that he would be traveling tomorrow night, with a student – Potter I think. Isn't that strange? Anyhow, he needs to prepare so there will be no meeting."

"With Dumbledore I have learned not to question his motives. Very little of what he does makes sense until he wishes it to."

"Quite right!" She chuckled. "I imagine he will be wanting to speak with the Heads about security with himself and Ms. Ravenhill away. Oh, have you heard when she'll be returning?"

"I – No, I only know she'll be returning sometime before the end of the term."

Charity Burbage, whose magical abilities ranged from fair to mediocre, possessed a true gift for reading people. "Excuse my presumptuousness, but I know you two are close and she asked me to pick up a book for her from a muggle shop in London. I just wanted to make sure she got it, can I leave it with you to give to her?"

"Perhaps Auror Tonks would be a better choice," he said, eyeing Draco Malfoy from the corner of his eye. The boy leaned back in his chair, pretending to stretch while he eavesdroped on their conversation.

"No, something tells me that you are the better choice," she said, eyeing him with interest as if seeing him for the first time. He was unnerved by her stare. Perhaps Dumbledore had hired her because of her perceptive abilities.

"If you insist, you can leave it in my office before dinner. I'm sure she will appreciate it."

"Excellent. Thank you." Professor Burbage smiled again and turned out of the classroom, heading to the end of the hall to meet her own students.

Severus turned his focus to his own class, "Right, now can anyone _other_ than Ms. Granger tell me what is needed to cast a corporeal Patronus?" He ignored the hands to either side of Hermione, as he had no intention of calling on Weasley or Potter. "Ms. Turpin?"

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The two wizards, one gray and one dark, sat across from each other staring into the fire, glasses of brandy warming in their hands. "So Mr. Malfoy heard what he needed to hear I gather?" Dumbledore asked without looking away from the fire.

"Yes, Ms. Burbage delivered your message and Draco heard every word. He's no doubt making plans for tomorrow night as we speak. Have you told Potter yet?"

"He will get a message tomorrow informing him that we will be having one of our lessons, yes. Is the Vanishing Cabinet ready?"

"Yes. Draco should have been able to make all of the necessary repairs with the information I left for him to find. If not he will find it extremely easy to sneak out of the common room tonight."

"Good, good."

"You're very calm about this whole thing."

"Death is just another part of the journey, my boy. It's another great adventure to embark upon."

Severus gave a doubtful expression. "And Maya? Have you called her back yet?"

"I sent her word just before dinner. My guess is she will get it sometime tonight."

Severus wondered if he would be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of her before he would have to flee but chose to keep those thoughts to himself.

"I have also sent word to Remus Lupin asking him and Bill Weasley to come to assist Ms. Tonks and the Aurors in protecting the school and students while I'm gone."

"That's wise. It looks like Bellatrix will be bringing her husband and brother-in-law as well as the Carrows, Gibbons, Yaxley, Selwyn, and possibly Rowle and Greyback. With Draco that makes ten."

"Don't forget yourself - that makes eleven."

"I will not be fighting. My goal is to complete my task and get Draco out of there alive. I'll do what I have to do to make my part believable but I have no intention of attacking innocent people, Albus. It's bad enough I'll be murdering one person already." His words sounded more flippant than he had intended but they were nonetheless true. He would be a murderer tomorrow; he could not stomach the thought of killing anyone else.

"You must do what is necessary, Severus. It must be convincing."

"Have no fear, Albus. I'll play my part well. I always do." He downed the remaining brandy from his glass and reached for the decanter from the small table between them, pouring another glass. The fire in the grate was offering him none of its warmth tonight.

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The night sky above the small tent had lightened from inky black to a paler shade of indigo in the pre-dawn hours. Maya checked her bags one last time. It had been close to dawn when Dumbledore's owl arrived with his message. Maya had less than a day to reach Hogwarts. They would force Draco to show his hand tonight. She was determined to get there in time to have Severus's back if he needed her.

When she was finished with her preparations, she scratched out a note to Charlie explaining her sudden departure. She eyed Dumbledore's owl, still resting on a perch in the corner of her tent, feasting on a few mice she had gotten for him.

"You know how to be discrete, don't you?" Maya asked the orange-eyed owl. He twitched his long ears at her in response. She wasn't surprised that Dumbledore would use the small breed known for its secretive nature. The small bark-colored owl gave her an indignant hoot and blinked its large eyes at her.

"Good."

She quickly snatched another piece of parchment from the table next to her cot and scratched out a note in the schoolgirl code that she and Claire had created on the floor of her bedroom. Dumbledore would be dead in twenty-four hours and the wizarding world would be plunged into chaos. No one would be safe, especially if they were discovered working for Dumbledore. Maya needed to warn Claire. Maya attached the note to the owl's leg and offered him another field mouse.

"This will be a long one, you better take one for the road," she said and stroked the owl gently on the head. After securing the mouse in his beak, the bird spread his wings wide and flew from the tent. Maya watched him go until he was just a dark speck in the pre-dawn light. "Be safe little one," she whispered to the dim tent around her. It was time to get going herself.

Maya made a quick stop to leave the note for Charlie under the flap of his tent then vanished and reappeared on the outskirts of the nearest town some fifty miles away. She would need to conserve her energy for any fighting she might walk into back at the castle. Apparating straight to Hogsmeade was out of the question. She would use shorter hops, but the trip would take most of the day. ' _Assuming I don't run into any trouble.'_

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It was early evening when Maya arrived in London, appearing in a darkened alleyway near the entrance to Diagon Alley. She had traveled under the disguise of India Ravenhill and slipped into the Leaky Cauldron without much notice. It was obvious that the past year with Voldemort and his Death Eaters being on the loose had taken a toll on the magical city within a city. Tom, the barman looked tense and suspicious of everyone. There was no more friendly welcome and banter. Patrons finished their drinks quickly and quietly, eager to mind their own business and avoid being noticed. Once out on the street, things looked even bleaker. Olivander's wand shop was still closed and boarded up. Fortescue's ice cream parlor had been looted and burned, as had several other shops on the alley, the Dark Mark, slurs about mudbloods and other forms of hateful graffiti were scrawled over many of the storefronts. Flourish and Blott's was still open but looked deserted as it's usual stream of customers appeared to have vanished. The entrance to Knockturn Alley, on the other hand, bustled with activity though its occupants chose to keep their faces concealed under hoods and below the brims of hats pulled down low.

A nervous tension sprung up deep in Maya's bones. She found a deserted corner and apparated with a pop. When she opened her eyes she was looking at the back of the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. Dusk was falling, and she could smell the lake water and summer grasses in the meadows. There was a clatter of metal behind her, and Maya spun around to see Rosmerta taking the trash out to the bins.

"Oh my word, it's you Ms. Ravenhill! You gave me quite the fright," Rosmerta gasped, one hand clutching at her ample chest and the other still grasping the bin lid.

"I'm sorry, Rosmerta. I'm just on my way up to the castle. You haven't seen Tonks or any of the other Aurors today have you?"

"Why no, come to think of it I haven't. They must all be up at the castle. Remus Lupin and Bill Weasley came through earlier and were on their way there as well. You don't suppose they're expecting some kind of trouble do you?"

"No, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Maya lied, feeling bile rise in the back of her throat. She could stop all of this, there was still time. But Dumbledore was adamant that his orders be followed. "Have a good evening ," Maya called as she turned to start the walk out of town and up to the castle. As she reached the side of the pub the back of her head exploded in pain and her vision went black.

She awoke to an explosion of pain from the back of her head and behind her eyes. Everything was black and she blinked several times to try and clear her vision. After a few moments her surroundings came into focus. Full night had descended upon the village. She could just make out the round shape of a garbage bin lid lying on the ground next to her, a sticky crimson substance on one end looked like blood. Maya struggled to her feet, wobbly at first, but becoming steadier by the second. She reached a hand gingerly to the back of her head and the throbbing behind her eyes erupted again. She hissed with pain. When she pulled her hand back it was covered in blood. Luckily who ever had attacked her had vanished – Rosmerta? Rosmerta was the only one behind the pub with her while they were talking and had to be the one who attacked her. But why, why would Rosmerta attack her?

Maya didn't have time to try to figure it out. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious and needed to get up to the castle. Her hand gingerly went to her back pocket. ' _Thank Merlin! They didn't think to take my wand.'_ Maya was able to pull off a decent healing charm, and with the throbbing pain and likely concussion healed she was able to think more clearly. She sprinted around to the street and skidded to a stop. From this vantage point the castle was visible, and hanging in the air above it was the eerie green glow of the Dark Mark. She was too late!

Maya started running towards the castle at top speed before she even realized she was moving. The shops of Hogsmeade all blurred passed. Before she knew it, she was slipping through the castle gates. Instead of entering from the main entrance, she opted for the hidden passage that led straight to Severus's office in the dungeons. The office was deserted. ' _Was he already on the run?_ ' She quickly slipped out into the hall. The dungeons were deserted and she saw no one as she made her way up to the main levels of the castle. However, as she sprinted up the stairs into the entrance hall, she could hear the distant sounds of commotion coming from the direction of the astronomy tower at the other end of the hall.

Her lungs burned as she neared the third floor landing. Spells and hexes exploded in the corridor and stairs above. She lifted her foot to step out onto the landing and suddenly there was a wrenching, tearing pain in her chest, as if her heart was being torn in two. Her leg slammed painfully into the step as she lost her balance. A rogue spell ricocheted off a stone archway down the hall and came dangerously close to her cheek, but she couldn't lift her wand. She blinked and an image of Dumbledore falling into darkness washed before her eyes. Severus was in pain. It was finished, Dumbledore was dead!

After a few attempts she was able to pull some air into her lungs and get her feet moving. Clouds of smoke and dust choked her lungs and made it difficult to see as curses and hexes exploded in sparks of every color. "Tonks!" Maya called. Tonks was battling a large oafish Death Eater who was firing off hexes and curses, hitting as many of his fellow Death Eaters as Order members.

"Maya! Excellent timing. We're out numbered and Bill is hurt!" The body of Bill Weasley lay face down at the foot of the steps, a large pool of blood starting to surround him. Another body was next to Bill's. The Death Eater Gibbons lay face up, eyes dull and glassy. Not far away Remus was locked in a heated duel with the werewolf Greyback.

"Watch it!" Tonks yelled.

A curse exploded on the wall behind Maya and she turned to see Yaxley, the Death Eater they had dueled on the grounds of Hogwarts with Gibbons. Without thinking she and Tonks started fighting back to back, exchanging and deflecting curses with the Death Eaters at a frenzied pace. Sparks flew around them like fireworks. Maya's last curse hit home and the Death Eater fell, toppling down the spiral staircase.

She could see Ginny Weasley fending off a lumpy dim-looking Death Eater, while Minerva battled a witch with the same features at the other end of the corridor. Ron Weasley was busy shielding Hermione Granger while the young witch tried to protect the others from rogue curses. Neville Longbottom sat against a wall holding his nose while Luna Lovegood provided cover.

She heard a familiar voice above her shout, " _Out of here, quickly_!"

Her heart stopped for a beat then pounded back to life in her chest. ' _Severus!_ '

There were heavy footfalls on the stone stairs above; several people were on their way down. A rogue hex hit Maya's hand and she yipped in pain, shaking her hand. Maya fired back and a Death Eater toppled over as he was immobilized.

Black robes swirled at the bottom of the stairs, and a cackle of laughter was heard over the battle. Severus had taken charge of the raiding party and was leading them out. Draco Malfoy was practically running to keep up with Severus's long strides and close behind them Bellatrix practically pranced down the stairs while she laughed like a fool. Two dark wizards with matching beards, Bellatrix's husband and brother-in-law no doubt, followed behind her bringing up the rear of the sinister party.

Maya's stinging hex clipped Bellatrix on the ankle and the witch stumbled, screaming in rage. She whirled around looking for the person foolish enough to hex her. At the sound of Bellatrix's scream, Severus turned and locked eyes with Maya. Time slowed and Maya felt their hearts beat once in sync like the striking of a drum, then he turned and continued down the stairs. " _It's over, time to go!_ " The remaining Death Eaters heeded his call and followed him down the stairs towards the front entrance.

Bellatrix cackled again, firing a curse off in Maya's direction. Maya deflected it, and it struck a window sending shards of glass in every direction. Maya lunged at the witch who was only a foot away from stairs. Bella's expression faltered for a second when she realized that Maya meant to give chase. Bella fired off another curse over her shoulder, but Maya ducked it easily as she darted down the stairs after the taller witch.

"Bombarda!" Maya shouted. A stone next to Bella's head exploded and she screamed again as shards of rock struck her face like buckshot.

"Who are you?" Bella howled in pain as she sent another curse up the staircase in Maya's direction. The curse hit Maya in the shoulder and she felt something pop with a blinding pain.

Maya took aim to fire at the witch again but was knocked hard against the wall as someone ran past her, her already wounded shoulder screaming in agony. Harry Potter was taking the stairs two at a time, chasing after the retreating group of Death Eaters. The tall gangly teen plowed into Bellatrix and the witch lost her footing and stumbled forward several steps. Ignoring the pain, Maya tore after them, trying to close the gap. Bellatrix stumbled out into the entrance hall. Harry Potter had reached the open front doors and was sprinting out onto the grounds and Bella was close behind him. Maya fired a barrage of curses at Bellatrix's back. The witch raced across the entrance hall for the safety of the grounds, sending curses blindly over her shoulder as she went.

"Sectumsempra!" Maya shouted and Bella spun screeching in pain, grabbing her cheek.

"How? How do you know that spell?" Her dark eyes were wide in surprise and pain. "Crusio!"

Maya deflected the spell with a wave of her hand. "Stay and face me! You'll find I know quite a lot," Maya shouted back and sent a volley of hexes at Bellatrix. The witch's shield charm was quick and effective.

At that moment Tonks and Remus spilled down the stairs and out into the entrance hall with the Hermione, Luna, and Neville close behind them. Bellatrix took advantage of the distraction and darted through the open doors and out into the night.

Maya gave chase, sprinting across the entrance hall.

"Maya, no wait!" Tonks shouted after her. "Remus, her shoulder!"

"Tonks, there's no time. They're getting away!"

"Tonks is right, Maya. You can't go with that shoulder; you can't even raise your arm. Tonks hold her still. Sorry Maya, this is going to hurt a bit, but we don't have time to be gentle."

Tonks put a steadying hand on Maya's uninjured shoulder and grasped her other hand. Without warning Remus raised his wand and Maya's arm popped back into its socket with a sickening crunch. She yelled out in agony but then the pain was gone and she gingerly raised her arm.

"Thank you, Remus. I'm going to secure the grounds, make sure there aren't any of them left."

"Okay, Remus and I will secure the castle and get Gibbons out of the hallway. Minerva and the Weasley kids were taking Bill to the Hospital Wing. He's in bad shape but he's still alive," Tonks said as Maya rushed toward the open doors.

"We'll meet you at the Hospital Wing once you've secured the grounds." Remus called after her as she slipped out into the night.

As Maya ran through the grounds trying to catch up to Bellatrix her chest burned, not just with the physical exertion of the battle and the chase, but also with the pain she felt for her friends. They didn't know. They would soon learn the horrible news that Dumbledore was dead. The sickly green glow of the Dark Mark still shown in the night sky above the astronomy tower. She felt the dizzying sensation of her life spinning out of control, something she hadn't felt since the night her parents had died. She could see a group of dark figures just ahead of her approaching Hagrid's hut. Maya pushed her legs faster but knew she wouldn't be able to catch them before they reached the tree line and the boundaries of the school's wards. Suddenly there were flames licking at the roof of Hagrid's hut and Fang was barking in the night.

A voice sounded in her head, "Maya, let her go. It's too late." Severus' voice was as clear as if he were standing right beside her. She wanted to argue. She wanted to fight, to catch up to Bellatrix and kill her. Fighting was all she knew how to do. To walk away made her feel powerless, and she couldn't let that feeling take root. Maya Ladon knew all too well the dangers of letting the powerlessness set in. She slowed to a stop, leaning over, hands on her knees while she caught her breath.

By the time she reached Hagrid's hut it was engulfed in flames and the Death Eaters had crossed the wards and disappeared, Severus with them. Hagrid was carrying the Boarhound Fang out of the burning hut, while Potter tried to put the flames out with an augmenti charm.

"Hagrid!" Maya shouted. "Are you alright?"

"Ms. Ravenhill! They've all gone. Buckbeak chased the last of them to the gates and they disapparated," Hagrid called back. He joined Harry in attempting to put out the flames with water from his pink umbrella.

At the sound of her voice, Potter spun to face her and his look was murderous. Maya understood at once. The boy had seen everything – thought he understood what he had seen, that Severus was a murderer. Both he and Hagrid were bruised and bloody from the skirmish with the Death Eaters.

"You two are hurt. Leave this to me, head up to the castle and get yourselves sorted," she said, joining Harry and Hagrid in dowsing the flames.

"Hagrid –" Harry Potter said doubtfully, mistrust staining his voice.

"Dumbledore's dead, Hagrid. Minerva has to be told and she'll want to know that Harry's okay."

"No, he can't be."

"It's true, Hagrid. Snape killed him!" Harry's words were directed at Hagrid but his accusatory stare was focused on Maya.

"But – no- Snape? He couldn't - "

"Hagrid!" Maya's voice was firm but kind. "Dumbledore will need to be moved somewhere safe, and Harry needs to be up at the castle."

"Yes, yes yer right. Come along Harry." Hagrid moved as if in slow motion, Fang walking at his side nosing at his master's hand to comfort him. The gamekeeper looked steadier now that he had a task to focus on. Harry Potter gave Maya one last dark look then followed slowly after Hagrid.

Once the flames were out, Maya repaired what she could from the fire and water damage. At least Hagrid would have a warm dry place to sleep tonight if he wanted to return to his hut. Afterwards she walked to the gates, sealed them and strengthened the wards around the castle. From there she returned to the castle, ignoring the large crowd that had gathered at the foot of the Astronomy Tower. She had no desire to see what was there. She preferred to remember Albus alive and whole; as he was the last time they had spoken. She took the back way up to the seventh floor, to the room of requirement. Now that she knew what to ask of it, the room opened for her easily. She quickly found the vanishing cabinet. With a wave of her wand it exploded into splinters and with a lazy flick the splinters were reduced to ash. No one would be using the cabinet to sneak into Hogwarts again.

Maya slowly made the long walk to the hospital wing, her feet feeling as if they were made of lead. Word was spreading and the halls were filling with students. When she neared the entrance, she looked up to see McGonagall and Harry walking toward her.

"Ms. Ravenhill, I shall be meeting with House Heads. I would like you to be there as well."

"I have secured the grounds and front gates, only you can lower the wards."

"Very well. I'll see you in my office in a few minutes."

"Yes, Minerva," Maya said.

Seconds later she entered the Hospital Wing. Tension hung in the air as her footfalls echoed down the long room lined with white hospital cots. Remus and Tonks stood off to one side vehemently trying to not look at each other. A young blond-haired witch dabbed ointment onto what used to be Bill Weasley's handsome face as he lay unconscious on a hospital cot. Molly Weasley stood next to the young woman, one arm around her shoulder and the other hand grasping Bill's lifeless one. Arthur Weasley stood on the other side of Bill's cot looking tired and drawn. At the sound of Maya's arrival, Molly's usually friendly face echoed the look Harry had given her outside of Hagrid's hut. Ron stood behind his mother with one arm around his sister Ginny. Hermione Granger held his hand, offering him what comfort she could.

Tonks looked up. "Maya! Have you heard? Dumbledore –"

"Yes, I know. I have to meet with Minerva in a few minutes. I secured the grounds and gates. Their entry point was a vanishing cabinet on the seventh floor. I destroyed it so no one should be able to use it again."

"Yes," Tonks said. "Harry was here. He told us about the cabinet. He said he saw Snape -"

"How's Bill?" Maya deflected. She couldn't have this discussion now, not with this audience.

"He'll live, no thanks to Snape and the rest of them!" snapped Molly.

"Molly!" Arthur tried to quiet his wife. Her dark look didn't change but she returned her attention back to the young blond woman and her son.

The uncomfortable silence grew. Maya could feel their accusations. She looked at Tonks, hoping to see a friendly face. There was confusion on the Auror's face, but her eyes were still kind.

"It was that savage, Greyback, that ravaged my Bill," said the blond witch, her French accent thick and musical.

"But it's not the full moon? He won't be infected?" Maya asked, her gaze flickered to Lupin's amber eyes. A guilty expression fell over his face and Tonks' shoulders slumped.

"He will not be fully infected, no," Lupin answered.

"Even if he was, it would not matter to me. And it should not matter to you either, Monsieur Lupin," the blond witch said, her voice brimming with emotion.

"Bloody hell!" Lupin muttered and threw his arms up.

Tonks gave a strangled cry and stormed from the room. Maya started to turn and go after her, but Remus stilled her with a hand to her arm.

"No, I'll go after her. I made a mess of this. I need to fix it."

Maya gave him an encouraging smile. "It's about time, but don't tell me, tell her."

The castle was quiet as Maya walked with a heavy heart through the corridors to the Head of Gryffindor's office. Voldemort had won the battle today, and without Dumbledore he might just win the war as well.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:** **One Last Kiss Before I Go***

* Forever, (2006). The Paramour Sessions, Papa Roach, David Buckner, Jacoby Shaddix, Jerry Hornton, Tobin Esperance.

Tonks released a ragged sigh into the summer night air and scrubbed her drying tears from her cheeks. Dumbledore's body had been moved, the students had been rounded up and sent back to their common rooms. She couldn't believe she had thrown herself at Remus Lupin again, and this time in front of half the Order. And her reward for wearing her heart on her sleeve? To be humiliated and rejected yet again. Maybe she was just fooling herself. She had grabbed him by the front of the robes and shook him, telling him that she didn't care if he was a werewolf, poor, or too old for her, she loved him anyway. ' _Idiot!'_ Maybe he really didn't love her. She picked up a stone from the water's edge and flung in as hard as she could into the lake. It landed in the water with a quiet dissatisfying splash. She needed to get back up to the castle. Hagrid had notified the Ministry about the attack. Her supervisor at the Auror's office would be wanting a report. This horrible night would not be over anytime soon.

"Sod it!" she yelled and turned to head back to the castle. Remus Lupin was standing there watching her, leaning casually against the large boulder that they had often hid behind to steal kisses the year before. Her cheeks flared red with embarrassment and she wished for the millionth time this year that she could change her appearance. She quickened her pace, determined to avoid another heartbreaking conversation.

"Tonks don't go. We need to talk, to fix this," he said.

"No, it's okay. I get it. You don't want to be with me. I won't be bothering you anymore." Tonks said, not able to meet his eyes as she walked past him on her way up to the castle.

Remus reached out, grabbing her hand to stop her. The rough skin of his thumb stroked the back of her knuckles briefly. "You know that's not what I want."

"No, I don't know what you want actually. I thought I did. I thought you were just being noble, trying to protect me. But -"

"I know you won't believe me, but breaking off our relationship was the hardest thing I've ever had to do." His voice was strained and Tonks finally risked looking up into his face. There was still a quarter moon left but he looked drawn and tired.

"You didn't have to do anything."

"Please Tonks, just hear me out."

"What's there to talk about, Remus? You have your reasons and you've been very clear." She couldn't help the biting edge in her voice. He winced at her tone.

"Perhaps, but what you don't know is that I love you. So much it hurts. During the nights with Greyback, all I could think about was you. It was the only thing that kept me sane."

Tonks studied his face, afraid to speak her thoughts aloud. He was still holding her hand, his touch making her dizzy. "Then why did you end it in the first place?"

"Because I'm a fool, Nym. And as it turns out, as much as I want what's best for you, I can't resist the selfish part of myself that doesn't want to live without you." His amber eyes looked down at her.

Tonks's heart thundered in her chest. "What about too being too old? What about being a werewolf?" she asked doubtfully.

"It wouldn't be easy. Finding work will always be challenging for me, and I'm afraid our relationship will impact how people see you professionally. I just didn't want to expose you to the ridicule that being together will bring you." He fidgeted with embarrassment. "Everything happened so fast before, we never really had a chance to talk about the practical things." He lifted her hand and placed a delicate kiss on the inside of her wrist. Tonks shivered.

"Love's not practical, Remus," Tonks said.

"So I'm learning." He gave her the first real smile since last summer. "And I do love you, Tonks, with my whole heart."

With a speed that could only be magic, Tonks closed the distance between them and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Nym. I was a fool. Please forgive me."

"I love you. I don't care about the rest as long as you're here," she spoke into his shoulder, her nerves soothed by the sound of his heart beneath her ear.

"Marry me, Tonks."

His voice was so soft she could barely hear it. She looked up at him in amazement. "Are you sure?"

He laughed, a true genuine laugh that made his eyes shine. He crushed her to his chest, savoring the feel of her warmth against him. "Of course I'm sure. I've never been more certain of anything in my life."

Tonks pulled Remus down to her, kissing him eagerly. The wolf within Remus yawned as if waking from a long nap and sniffed the air.

The wolf growled low in his throat and Tonks deepened the kiss in response. His overgrown stubble was rough on her cheek. He tasted like peppermint, chocolate, and tea. When they finally parted, they were both gasping for air.

"Is that a yes then?"

"Remus Lupin, you could not get rid of me if you tried. I would marry you tonight if I could," she said still breathless, planting a kiss on his cheek for emphasis.

"Maybe we should go back up to the castle first. Minerva and the rest of the Order will be looking for us."

"Yes, you're probably right," Tonks said, taking a tiny step back to cool her thundering heart. "The Ministry will be wanting my report. But we set a date tonight, so no sneaking off without me." She grinned up at him.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He reached down, placing a delicate kiss on her forehead and then her lips, savoring the feel of her soft lips against his. How could he have thought he could live without her?

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A lone figure cloaked in black silently approached the hidden entrance to the dungeons. Crowds of witches and wizards from all over the wizarding world were gathering outside for Dumbledore's funeral. Taking advantage of the diversion, he slipped unseen into the passageway. As he made his way through the dark tunnel he lowered the hood of his cloak. Severus Snape entered his office, ears straining to hear the smallest sound. The three days since Dumbledore's death felt like three years, and his face showed the weariness. He could feel the crease between his brows deepen and his scowl hardened his face.

Severus realized his mistake the moment he entered his sitting room. She was everywhere. His once solitary chambers echoed with her presence. In the end she had found out about the vow and Dumbledore's orders, but what did she think of him now? Did she still believe in him enough to remember that he had not wanted it to be this way? That Albus had forced him to do it?

His thoughts stopped abruptly as he entered his bedchamber. He had never bothered to erase the signs of her after she left for Romania. A muggle novel, a hairbrush and elastics for her hair, the bottle of lavender shampoo in the bathroom; he liked seeing them among his own belongings, reminding him that she would be back.

Maya's scent was everywhere in the room as well. He had first noticed it right after she left for Romania. He had lain down to allow a headache potion to take effect and was taken aback by her scent on his pillow. Even now she was there as he sat down on the bed dejectedly.

"I can't believe you had the nerve to return here. I should kill you on the spot but maybe I'll just -"

Severus had been so wrapped up in his memories he didn't hear the werewolf enter; however he showed no sign of surprise. "Is she safe, Lupin?" he asked, his voice missing his usual sneer.

For a moment Lupin thought of Minerva and was confused. His wolf senses took in the few feminine objects scattered around the room and a mingling of masculine and feminine scents in the air. He knew at once Snape was speaking about Maya.

"Yes, she's safe." His anger was momentarily forgotten. ' _Curious_ ,' Remus thought, Severus wasn't acting like a ruthless Death Eater. With the majority of his time over the last year spent with the werewolves and agonizing over Tonks disintegrating magical condition, Remus had definitely missed some important events.

"I don't care what happens to me, Lupin. I know my role, but swear to me you'll keep her safe. If anything were to happen to her -" Snape said, his back to Lupin.

"Now that does not sound like a murderer talking." Remus moved farther into the room. It was quite possible Harry had things wrong this time.

"Believe what you want, werewolf. Just make sure she stays alive." Severus stood, summoning and shrinking the objects he wanted, catching them deftly in one hand. He turned and stormed past Lupin out of the room.

"I'll do my best," Remus said, making only a halfhearted attempt to see which direction Severus fled. Remus let him go, and instead moved towards the corridor to meet Tonks for the funeral.

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The funeral was just starting when Severus Snape appeared at the edge of the forest, hidden from view by the lush green foliage. He was risking a great deal in returning but he felt he needed to pay his respects to the man that had given him a second chance when no one else would. He saw something move from the corner of his eye and stepped farther into the shadows. He scanned the forests edge and spotted a flash of raven colored waves from just beyond the tree line. ' _Maya_.' He couldn't believe his luck; there she was barely 50 meters away. With a silent "muffliato" and a concealment charm Severus came up behind her and clamped a hand over her mouth pulling her behind the large oak. He hissed in pain as her heel drove down onto the instep of his foot. He spun her around to face him.

"Severus! What are you doing here? If they catch you –"

"I can't stay long." They turned to watch the ceremony as Dumbledore's tomb was magically sealed. Severus bowed his head resting his chin on her shoulder and wrapped his arms tightly around her from behind.

Maya reached up, caressing his cheek as she watched the end of the ceremony. A single tear fell down her cheek. "Know that I love you and promise me you'll come back." Her voice was soft but he heard every word.

"I'll do what I can." He pulled them both back behind the tree. "I did what I had to do, I need to know that you at least know the truth."

She closed her eyes. The pleading tone in his velvety baritone voice broke her heart. She nodded her head ignoring the tears that stung at the back of her eyes. "Of course I do."

He gently held her chin in one hand, tracing her bottom lip with his thumb. "Then it's time for me to go." He felt her tremble beneath his touch. Her eyes lifted up to meet his and she bit her bottom lip. Once again he felt gravity pulling them together even as the outside world tried to tear them apart. Her lips were soft and sweet and he was surrounded by the essence of Earl Grey tea, lavender, and the summer breeze. He held her face in his hands committing every inch of her to memory. When they parted she looked up at him through wet lashes, and he wiped away the tears from her cheek. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. He returned her embrace, burying his face in her hair. How could he possibly get through this without her?

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Maya watched Severus walk a few paces into the forest and vanish with a pop. She made her way slowly to the castle. She needed to collect her personal belongings from his chambers. The castle was eerily quiet, as most of the students had gone straight to the trains from the funeral. Most of the damage to the astronomy tower had been repaired but there were still some places in the castle that were still in ruins from Bellatrix's little rampage. Most of the focus had been on Dumbledore's funeral and getting the students off, leaving the non-essential tasks to be dealt with over the summer holiday.

The dungeons were cool and dark and Maya was comforted by the space that was so entirely Severus. She saw someone standing by the cold fire grate. For a moment her mind allowed her to believe it was Severus and that this was all a dream but reality came crashing back. Slowly the sandy hair of Remus Lupin came into focus, along with his too thin frame that made his suit coat seem too large.

"He's gone," she said. "You won't find him here, and I'm not lying." She tried and failed to keep the defensiveness out of her voice.

"I know," Remus said sadly. "I was hoping to find you."

"You can tell Minerva I'm clearing out my things now. I'm sure they've already searched his rooms. There's nothing here."

"Tonks and I didn't enjoy searching his rooms, but we thought you would prefer it be us than someone -"

"Then a nosy gossip?" she said hotly. She sighed and took a few calming breaths. "I'm sorry Remus. Yes, I think we both would prefer you and Tonks to anyone else rooting through our things. Welcome back, by the way." She tried to give him an apologetic smile and was relieved when he returned it.

"We found these and thought you would want them." He handed her two photographs. The first was the photograph that had been snapped as they arrived at Slughorn's Christmas Party. She had given the photo to Severus for Christmas after he had made such a fuss about her dress. The second one caught her completely by surprise. They were standing in the front hall of Grimauld Place, snogging like hormonal teenagers.

As her mind raced through the possibilities she came to the conclusion that it had to be their first night together when he kissed her in the hall. "But who?"

"I found it in his desk, I apologize for the violation of privacy but Minerva was insistent that everything be searched before the Ministry arrived. I can only imagine it was George Weasley who took it. He's been a menace with that camera since he got it that Christmas. Severus must have found out the twins had it and made them hand it over somehow."

Maya smiled at the photo and the idea that Severus had kept it in his desk. She then turned her smile to Remus. "Thank you Remus, for getting these to me before the Ministry could confiscate them."

"You're welcome. Tonks and I thought it would be for the best for everyone. Feel free to take whatever else you wish."

"You should go to her you know," Maya said.

Remus smiled and gave her a nod. "I'll leave you too it then.

"Thank you again, Remus. It really is good to have you back." She smiled as he turned and left her to gather her belongings in private. Maya slipped the two photos in her back pocket along with her wand. She gathered her few belongings from the bedroom and lavatory. There were a few books and other items in the lounge, and after thinking a few minutes, she went to his private lab, gathering the books she had been researching and any equipment and ingredients she thought she might need. Thankfully the vial of vampire blood was currently safe at the apartment in Hogsmeade. In five minutes, she had shrunk everything she wanted and placed it in a bespelled bag the size of a change purse. She slipped the bag in her pocket along with the photos. Before closing the door she reset his wards and added a few extras that would bar anyone other than Severus or herself from entering his chambers. With that she closed the door and made her way out of the dungeons.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Nobody's Hero*

* Nobody's Hero, (1993). Counterparts, Rush. Neil Peart, Gary Lee Weinrib, Alex Zivojinovich.

The small grove of trees offered shade from the bright July day. If Maya were still in America the air would have been thick with the aroma of barbeque chicken and grilled hot dogs, sparklers and fireworks. She smoothed out the skirt of her pale violet sundress and grasped the small bouquet of daisies she held a little tighter. She tried not to fidget but she was never completely comfortable at weddings. To her right, under a canopy draped with garlands made from daisies and wildflowers, Tonks stood with her hands clasped in Remus Lupin's. There was no trace of the thin and haggard woman she had been two weeks ago. Tonks was the picture of happiness this morning, her hair and her sundress the same color of pink candy floss. Remus stood across from her in his crisp navy suit, a daisy in his lapel. Lupin had been transformed by their reunion as well. His amber eyes shown bright and he stood a little taller. His fringe persistently fell over his eyes, despite his fresh haircut, adding to his boyish look even with the new patches of gray at his temples.

Maya's eyes darted from the couple to the wizard conducting the ceremony, to the small gathering of friends and Tonks's parents standing behind them. Arthur Weasley stood at Remus' side and handed him two golden bands. Maya smiled nervously at him. The Weasley patriarch gave her a sad smile, the way most of the Order members and professors did since Dumbledore's death.

Before she knew it, Tonks and Remus had exchanged rings and sworn vows to each other. The officiating wizard announced that Remus could kiss his bride. Tonks threw herself into Remus's arms and he pressed her to him, kissing the pink-haired witch soundly. The crowd behind them erupted in applause and cheers. Fred and George Weasley shamelessly wolf-whistled at the couple until they came up for air, beaming sheepishly, and scarlet to the tips of their ears. The small group of attendees stepped forward to congratulate them. George Weasley sprung forward with his magical camera, snapping photos of the bride and groom and all of their guests.

The small reception was held under a nearby canopy. Maya sipped a glass of champagne, chatting occasionally with Ginny Weasley or Andromeda and Ted Tonks. More than a few members of the Order, Molly Weasley in particular, now gave her a wide berth these days. Everyone had accepted Potter's account of Dumbledore's death; it was the truth, after all. Members assumed either she was duped by Snape and pitied her, or they believed she knew of his intentions and was in league with the Dark Lord as well. It made it all the better that she planned to return to Romania just after Harry Potter was delivered safely to the Burrow at the end of the month. Maya watched as Tonks and Lupin danced together. She was so happy for her friend, but couldn't help thinking of Severus and wondering where he was and if he was safe. The music stopped and the couple mingled and chatted with their guests.

"Congratulations," Maya said as Tonks and Remus walked toward her.

Tonks crushed her in a fierce hug. "Thank you so much. I couldn't have gotten through this year if it weren't for you," she said softly.

Maya chuckled and returned her friend's embrace. "I'm just glad to see you happy and back to your old self."

"You have my thanks as well," Remus said and gave Maya a brief hug and an earnest smile.

"How long will you be staying?" Tonks asked. "Will I see you when we get back?"

"I'm staying through the end of July to set up the safe houses and to help with moving Harry from Surry, if the Order will accept my help, that is." Maya gave a meaningful glance in Molly and Minerva's direction.

"I don't see that as a problem," Remus said, placing an arm around Tonks.

"Haven't you noticed? I'm a pariah, guilty by association."

Tonks beamed at her friend. "Remus will be heading up the Order from now on. Managing the school will be taking up most of Minerva's time. After the injured students last year and then the attack, it's going to be a rough year for her."

"We'd be happy to have you. I'm not foolish enough to think I know everything that's going on here. Dumbledore played his cards very close to his vest, so I'm choosing to keep a cautious but open mind on the subject."

"In that case, I would be happy to give whatever help I can until after the Weasley wedding. Then I must return to finish the last assignment Dumbledore gave me. When you return we can get together so I can catch you up on everything."

"That sounds more than acceptable," Remus said.

"Dora!" Andromeda's voice called over the crowd.

"Be right there Mum!" Tonks called.

"I'm keeping you from your other guests. Please have a good time, try not to think about all of this until you get back. I'll be staying in the flat in Hogsmeade for a while. You can reach me there when you're ready." Maya congratulated them both again, giving them each a quick hug.

"We'll be back in a week," Tonks said taking Remus' hand as they made their way back to Andromeda and Ted. Maya finished her champagne and said her goodbyes before apparating to her lounge. The apartment felt empty without all of Tonks' wildly colored belongings. Two years of living in close proximity to the Order had left her feeling awkward in the empty apartment.

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Disillusionment spell in place, Severus Snape carefully made his way up the marble steps to Number Twelve Grimmauld place. When he was sure he had not been followed or was being watched, he turned the knob and the door gently swung open. He had no idea why he came here, only that he had felt drawn to the empty building. He quickly detected and disarmed the spells that Mad-Eye Moody had placed to frighten away intruders. Before he was aware of where he was going he was standing in front of the room that Sirius Black had used. It hit him as he pushed the door open that what he was looking for ... was Lily. If there would be anything of her left it would be at Black's

He had realized over the last few weeks that she came to his dreams less often. He needed to focus, to remember why he was doing this. Doing this for her made it all worth it. Dumbledore's death, Maya risking her life, the entire world thinking he was a killer, it had to make it all worth it. As his eyes scanned the room, he saw a letter lying on Black's cluttered desk. The parchment was old and discolored and held a familiar feminine script. He tore open the letter, ignoring the content, his eyes drawn to the signature at the bottom. 'Love, Lily.' His chest tightened and he unconsciously swiped at his eyes with the back of a hand. As he did something fell out of the letter. He picked it up and his breath froze in his chest. Lily smiled up at him, waving as she and James Potter chased around an infant Harry riding a toy broomstick. He quickly tore the bottom of the letter away and ripped the photo in two. Taking only the half of the photo with Lily's image and folding the bottom of the letter with her signature around it, he placed them both inside his coat pocket and made his way out of the dismal house as quickly as he could.

Severus wasn't sure if it was guilt from the weight of Lily's photograph in his pocket or his need to see Maya and touch her one last time that made him risk going to her door. Their bond and the dragon and snake pendant made tracking her easy; he was surprised that she had chosen to remain in the Hogsmeade flat. Luckily for him she had not changed her wards. He was able to appear just inside her front door with a soft pop.

Maya stood with her back to him, wearing a thin violet sundress. She picked daisies out of her black hair in the dimly lit sitting room. He stepped behind her and gently pulled one of the delicate flowers from her hair. Maya spun to face him.

"Severus!" She brought her arms around him and kissed him. His arms went to her waist and he pulled her tightly to him. The feel of her curves under the thin fabric of the sundress igniting a fire in his veins. With great effort he released her and took a step back.

Severus reached up and pulled the last daisy from her hair. He handed her the flower with a questioning look. "I thought the Weasley wedding wasn't until the end of the month?"

"It's not. Remus and Tonks were married today."

"Came to his senses then?"

"I didn't realize you approved," she teased as he gave a non-committal shrug. "It appears that half the Order ganged up on him to make him see sense." Maya sighed.

"I assume Dumbledore left the Order in Lupin's hands?"

"Yes, that's what they told me today. Minerva will have a lot on her plate with parents and the governors."

"Does he still trust you?"

"Trust me? I think so. He's willing to let me stay in the Order at least. A lot of members are ready to get their pitchforks."

"I warned you that a relationship with me would not win you friends or allies."

"Do I sound worried?"

He grimaced. "I need you to pass on some information to Lupin. I'll leave it to you to determine how best to convince him. If you feel it necessary, you may let him know it comes from me."

"I'll think of something."

"He needs to move Potter on the twenty-seventh."

"The twenty-seventh? That's next Saturday. It doesn't give us much time to plan a strategy."

"The Dark Lord will be expecting them so they will need to be ready. Decoys I think would be the wisest plan of action. They should all look exactly like Potter."

"Polyjuice?"

"Yes, polyjuice would do nicely. There's more. The Weasley wedding is on August first. The Dark Lord will likely plan an attack on several Order strongholds that day. Tell Lupin he will need to increase protection at the Burrow."

"I'll tell him. I likely won't be there myself. Molly especially, doubts me. I'll be leaving for Romania after the wedding to continue to work with the dragons."

"It's probably for the best. The Dark Lord has been planning a takeover at the Ministry. It will come soon, and when it does – I'll be named Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Headmaster?"

"The Dark Lord wants to control the school almost more than he does the Ministry. He will be appointing several other Death Eaters as professors. It's not ideal, but it may allow me to keep some of the children and staff safe while keeping the Dark Lord's trust. He wants someone experienced at Hogwarts to keep an eye on Potter."

Maya's head was still reeling from Severus' news when a knock sounded at her front door. She and Severus shared a questioning look. The knock sounded again, even more insistent the second time. Maya walked to the door and cautiously lifted the protective wards. She cracked the door enough to see the Auror Dawlish and another Auror she only vaguely recognized.

"Ms. Ravenhill, I'm Auror Smyth. We're looking for Severus Snape. We were under the impression that the two of you were intimately acquainted and that you may know where he is?" Maya arched a dark eyebrow at his presumptuousness and he turned scarlet. "Have you seen him since Headmaster Dumbledore's death?" Dawlish had turned a shade of pink while his fellow Auror kept talking and tried to look anywhere but at Maya's eyes.

Severus stood behind Maya's front door and tightened his grip on his wand, ready for a fight if the Aurors tried to force their way into the flat. Out of the Aurors' view, Maya placed a hand to his chest. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen him."

"Is he here, Madam?"

"I just told you, I haven't seen him," Maya said crisply.

"Earlier today you attended Auror Tonks marriage to Remus Lupin, isn't it possible someone could have slipped in while you were gone? Do you mind if we take a look for ourselves?"

So the Ministry was tracking them all – and they knew that Remus and Tonks had gotten married. "If you've done your research sufficiently you would know that I share this flat with Auror Tonks – at least until she returns from her honeymoon. This house is heavily warded, which I'm sure you found out when you tried to search it while I was out. Tonks is my best friend. Do you think that I would ever put her in danger by allowing a criminal into our flat?"

"Well, no madam."

"Good. Then I think we're done here. I'm tired and I'd like to retire for the evening." Maya closed the door on the Aurors' stunned faces.

Severus took her arm and pulled her into an embrace. Maya hissed in pain as his hand skimmed her side. "What did you do to yourself this time?" He frowned.

"Norbert tried to get fresh and Bellatix reopened the wound with one of her hexes." She smiled, trying to reassure him that she wasn't seriously hurt.

"I'm not sharing you with a dragon," he said, kissing her soundly.

As the kiss deepened it turned sorrowful and Maya saw a glimpse of a memory. Charity Burbage suspended in the air during a Death Eater meeting, tortured while others watched. "She's dead then?"

His breath faltered and he rested his head against hers. "I'm sorry, I could do nothing to stop it."

"I know."

"I didn't have to do it myself – but her last words were begging me for help, telling me – she thought we were friends." His voice wavered at the end and he trembled slightly. Maya took his hands from around her waist and led him down the short hall to her room.

"I can't take it away, but I can lessen the burden a bit, if only for a little while."

Severus followed her without hesitation.

He fell asleep with the exhaustion of a man who had been on the run for nearly four weeks. Maya slipped from the bed, throwing on her robe as she walked by the bedside chair. She quickly padded out of the room, the floor cool on her bare feet. She shut the bedroom door and cast a muffliato spell to make sure he would sleep undisturbed. She pulled the two photos that Remus had brought her from Severus' chambers out of her rucksack. The one from the Christmas party she slid into a potion text from her bag.

Severus had left his frockcoat near the sofa. She would leave him the photo of them kissing, maybe it would remind him that even in the darkness, there was someone who loved him and waited for him to return. She slipped her hand in the inside pocket and met resistance. Maya looked closer and found another slip of paper in the way. She unfolded it and a smiling Lily Potter waved up at her from a photo. Maya glanced at the smaller piece of parchment in her other hand and the words 'Love Lily' jumped out at her from the bottom. Maya closed her eyes and sighed, unable to stop the small ache in her chest.

"Protect him when I cannot, Lily," she whispered to the smiling woman in the photo. Maya placed the photo of her and Severus with the photo of Lily and put them back in his inside pocket. She quietly returned to bed and allowed his warmth to lull her back to sleep.

She awoke in the dusky light of dawn to soft lips caressing hers. Her eyes focused in the dim morning light and saw Severus sitting at the edge of the bed, fully dressed. "This may be the last time I can see you for quite some time."

"You know how to get in touch with me if you need me," she said, putting a hand on his face. He leaned down to kiss her again.

He put his arms around her and she could feel his breath at her ear. "I'm a selfish man, Maya. I need to hear you say it." The words were so low she could barely hear them.

She held him tighter. "I love you, Severus. Be safe and come back to me," she whispered into his neck and felt him relax slightly. He placed a kiss at her temple and finally her lips.

"Don't be reckless."

She smiled at him. "I never am." And with a turn he was gone.

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Maya stood guard in the shadows of a respectable looking home on Privet Drive. Inside, Harry Potter's Advanced Guard prepared to escort him away for the last time. The boy would be seventeen in just a few days.

Convincing Remus Lupin to trust her turned out to be an easy task. Persuading the others to act on her information was far more difficult. An unexpected ally, Mad-Eye Moody, eventually helped sway the rest.

"The house is likely to be under constant surveillance anyway, so the twenty-seventh is as good a day as any," Mad-Eye boomed at an Order meeting. "It's always better to know the fight is coming so you can prepare a strong counterattack." In the end, six Order members had volunteered to pose as Harry Potter decoys with the help of polyjuice potion, and seven more volunteered to escort each decoy and the real Harry Potter to a designated safe house.

The front door opened and Mad Eye's silhouette blinked his wand two times – the signal that they were about to leave. Maya scanned the sky and surrounding yards, on alert for any movement. Moments later, seven identical Harry Potters emerged in pairs with their escorts. Four held broomsticks and two went to awaiting thestrals. The skeletal winged horse-like creatures pricked their ears at the approach, stomping at the ground as their riders mounted. The final Harry walked with Hagid to a black motorbike and sidecar. To the disapproval of many members, Remus trusted Maya with the knowledge that the real Harry would be traveling with Hagrid on Sirius Black's old motorbike. Maya focused her attention on Harry. Remus had given her the job of providing extra protection until Hagrid was in the air and safely away. The motorbike was fast once it was in the air but it was slow on take-off and not as maneuverable as a broom. The hope was that Harry's reputation as a great flyer on a broom would fool the Death Eaters into following one of the four decoys riding brooms. With a nod from Hagrid and Mad-Eye they were off and in the air.

Remus and Mad-Eye agreed that they could not risk identifying Harry by giving him any extra protection or guards in the air, thus Maya was to provide any cover she could from the ground then apparate to Harry's safehouse with Andromeda and Ted Tonks.

The four decoys on brooms were the fastest into the air, followed next by the thestrals and then the motorbike. The motorbike took off like a shot and out of nowhere the inky black swirls of Death Eaters swarmed the sky, blocking out stars and the moon.

"Here we go," Maya muttered as she fired off a volley of spells at a group of Death Eaters, causing them to scatter like bowling pins. Remus had been right. The Death Eaters were focusing the brunt of their attack on the decoys on brooms. Mad-Eye was drawing the most fire and the most dangerous curses. Voldemort had mistakenly assumed Harry would be with the highly trained senior Auror.

"Damn it!" she swore as the decoy with Mad-Eye panicked and vanished. "Bloody coward!" Maya was able to throw a shield charm to protect Fred and Arthur Weasley and deflect a curse that was heading for Tonks who was focused on protecting her decoy, before they were all out of range. "Good luck," she said before vanishing into the darkness. She appeared again in Andromeda and Ted Tonks' back garden.

"They're on their way then?" said a nervous looking Andromeda, her hooded dark eyes worried.

"Yes, they're in the air. They should be here in about ten minutes as long as they don't have to detour. The Death Eaters were on them almost from the start."

"What about Tonks and Remus?"

Maya gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry, they were holding their own."

Andromeda nodded her head and appeared to be comforted by the news, but her delicate hands wrung at each other as they waited for any sign of Hagrid and the motorbike. When there was still no sign of them after fifteen minutes, Maya began to bite at her lip and tried to ignore the urge to tap her foot. Her wand twirled in her hand as she tried to vent her anxious energy. "Come on, Hagrid," she muttered, eyes glued to the sky.

And then in the distance came the uneven rumble of an engine struggling not to stall. Maya and Andromeda looked in the direction of the sound and gasped as the motorbike came into view. Close behind them were several inky black figures and jets of green light streaking the sky.

"Ted!" Andromeda yelled shakily. The wizard came through the door, wand at the ready, as Maya sprinted to the edge of the garden.

"If they can't make it to the edge of the wards, cover me while I go get them. I have an emergency port key," she called over her shoulder. They were close enough that Maya could see the large form of Hagrid as the bike rocketed towards her. She heard yells from above and then her blood ran cold. "Voldemort!" she gasped.

The eerie figure, half-man, half-snake, along with several other Death Eaters quickly closed in on the motorbike. Hagrid gave a mighty roar that rumbled through the air like thunder and launched himself from the bike at a Death Eater, knocking him out of the air as they both plummeted to the ground.

"Hagrid!" Maya screamed and ran towards the falling form of the gamekeeper. As soon as Harry and the Death Eaters were in range, Maya tried to shield Harry as much as possible. There was an earth-shaking impact as Hagrid landed in a pond at the edge of the garden. Several muggle car alarms sent their sirens into the night.

From above golden flames erupted from Harry's wand towards Voldemort. The Dark Wizard screamed with rage and had to fall back. And then Harry was through the wards and the Death Eaters vanished in swirls of inky smoke. The bike fell quickly and Maya ran to reach the pond. She tried to slow the bike's decent but it still hit the ground with the wrenching crash of metal. Maya splashed into the pond reaching Hagrid's body first, face down and spread eagle. She breathed a temporary sigh of relief. The gamekeeper was alive. She levitated him to the dry ground at the edge of the pond. Andromeda and Ted reached her at the pond's edge.

"He's alive! Check him for injuries." Maya quickly made her way to the wrecked motorbike.

"We got him, go get Harry!" Ted called back to her.

Maya found the boy, battered and bloody but alive. "Harry! Harry can you hear me?" she called and ran her wand from his head to his feet. "He's alive, has some broken bones but he'll be okay."

She quickly levitated him out of the pond to join Ted and Andromeda at Hagrid's side.

"I should be able to patch up most of his injuries before their portkey leaves," said Ted, looking over Harry with a critical eye.

Hagrid was already starting to come around. "Good work up there, Hagrid. You had Voldemort himself on your tail and you still got both of you here in one piece," Maya said, placing a comforting hand on the gamekeeper's much larger one.

"It were a close one, though," Hagrid muttered, wincing as he spoke. "Maya, Mad-Eye - they were on him and Mundungus somemat fierce. Dung disapparated."

"I'm on it," Maya said. "Rest while Ted and Andromeda get Harry patched up. Tell Remus I'm going back to make sure everyone made it to their safehouses."

"Here take Dora's old broom. It may be old, but it's fast." Andromeda snapped her fingers and the broom appeared in her open hand. She handed it over to Maya who took it gratefully.

"Thank you, Andromeda. Someone will send word as soon as we can," Maya said, knowing that the couple's thoughts were with their daughter and new son-in-law.

Maya circled the warm night sky. She started with the pairs that had drawn the most fire – Mad-Eye and Mundungus Fletcher, a patronus message confirmed that they had not arrived at their safehouse. Hermione and Kingsley, Arthur and Fred, and Bill and Flur had all made it to their safehouses on time. Tonks and Ron, and Remus and George, had both been late and missed their portkeys. After waiting anxiously for an answering patronus, it had been confirmed that both Tonks and Remus had checked in and were on their way back to the Burrow. This left Mad-Eye as the only one missing in action. Maya started to trace his most likely route from Privet Drive.

With the help of a disillusionment charm she flew low to the ground looking for any evidence of what may have happened – "assuming he hasn't been captured that is," she finally gave voice to her fears. As she neared a wooded area at the edge of a cul-de-sac, there was a tall oak with branches broken and splintered. She gently pulled up on the end of the broomstick so she could take another pass over the area. Something glistened in the moonlight. Maya landed the broom in the shadows of the trees.

"Lumos," she whispered and a dim light from the tip of her wand illuminated the underbrush. Maya could see the toe of well-worn boot. As she drew closer, she could see that the light had gone from the Auror's one remaining eye. His magical electric blue one was missing. She gently reached down and closed his remaining eye. Peace had overtaken the grizzled old face in death. Maya thought of how happy it would have made the old wizard to know he died in battle and that the boy he died protecting had made it to his destination alive. Mad-Eye Moody had died a true warrior. "Come Alastair, let's go home." She placed a hand on Mad-Eye's. It was still but warm. In an instant, they had vanished and reappeared in the pasture behind the burrow.

Maya sent her patronus ahead to let Remus know she had returned, and in seconds he was walking out the back door and towards her. His wand was drawn, which Maya had expected. From here on out they could take no chances.

"What house were you in at Hogwarts?" Remus asked.

Maya smirked back. "Trick question – I never attended Hogwarts. I went to school in America."

Remus heaved a sigh of relief. "Maya, we're all back then."

"Mad-Eye's gone. I was able to bring his body back though, so we can do right by him."

"Thank you. Bill told us Mad-Eye had been hit."

"The others? Was anyone else injured?"

"George was hit with a curse, but he'll be okay."

At that moment the back door burst open and Molly Weasley stormed out into the yard. "No thanks to him or to you, I'd wager!"

"What?" Maya looked from Molly's rage-filled face to Lupin's resigned one.

"It was Severus that sent the curse that hit George. He'll be okay but they won't be able to re-grow the ear because the curse severed it with dark magic," Remus said quietly.

"I see," Maya answered evenly. She had known something like this was coming.

"As if she didn't know. How can we be sure that she isn't the one that killed Mad-Eye?"

"Because I was at Andromeda and Ted's house trying to protect Harry. Feel free to check, Molly."

The red-headed witch huffed in disbelief.

"Molly, that's enough," Remus started.

Tonks came through the door next. Concern etched her brow. "Maya! You made it. I heard shouting and thought -" She stopped when she caught sight of Molly's angry face. "What's up?"

"Oh! I don't know how you two can still allow her to be part of the Order after what happened to Dumbledore!"

"Oi! Molly, that's out of bounds!" Tonks cut over her.

"Now that is enough ladies!" Remus said sternly.

"Remus, everyone is back safe. I brought Alastair's body back. You know where to find me – just send me word of the next Order meeting."

"Maya, you can't just go," Tonks started looking agitatedly at Molly.

"I'll see you later, Tonks." Maya turned and crossed the pasture to the edge of the Burrow's wards. As soon as she reached the other side, she vanished without another word.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Into The Dark***

 **Into The Dark (2010). Some Kind of Trouble, James Blunt.**

Remus Lupin sighed in his seat by the fire. Normally he loved the spot in the cozy sitting room of the cottage he and Tonks had purchased after their honeymoon. But tonight the room was crowded with Order members. He pulled at his tie. Maybe Arthur would allow the Order to use the Burrow for the next meeting? Their numbers had more than doubled since Dumbledore's death just a few short months ago.

How did Dumbledore expect him to be able to lead this group, especially since it seemed that the great wizard had kept so many secrets with him until the very end? In three minutes he would call the meeting to order. Most of the essential members were already here, except Maya.

He had hoped Maya would come tonight in spite of the rumors. There had been no sign of Tonks' best friend since the mission to escort Harry from Privet Drive to the Burrow the week before.

Maya had already been a great help to them and her presence would do much to quiet Tonks' nerves. He caught his wife's eyes as she sat in the chair next to his and gave her a warm smile. Tonks eyes had been darting to the door for the past half hour, disappointment showing each time it turned out to be some other Order member.

Minerva sat off to his right talking with Augusta Longbottom, Neville Longbottom's grandmother. "Poor thing and to think she gave her heart to such a creature, him being just as bad as Pettigrew," Augusta said and Minerva shook her head and tutted.

"Poor thing, indeed. I never would have expected it from Severus. I've known him since he was a boy."

"I still say she knew. She was never one to speak much and being his partner and all?" Molly said bitingly.

"Mum!" Charlie Weasley said hotly. Having just arrived from Romania he had been shocked to learn about Dumbledore's death, and even more exasperated by his mother's theories about Maya plotting with the Death Eaters.

"That is a good point," said Dedalus Diggle in support of Molly.

Tonks sat in her chair by the fire where she could have a good view of the door in case Maya arrived. She looked deep into the fire, lost in her own thoughts, Remus's hand in hers, hair pink and mind clear for the first time in months. "No," she said slowly. "You all don't know her the way I do. If he was a Death Eater and she knew it, she'd have sooner killed him herself even if she was shagging him," Tonks thought out loud.

"Nym, what are you saying?" Remus asked quietly. He had his own doubts about Harry's account of events after his encounter with Severus in the dungeons the day of the funeral. Remus thought that everyone might have the wrong end of the stick when it came to Severus's loyalty. Dumbledore had kept many secrets and why his faith in Snape was so unwavering had been one of them.

"I'm saying, either he was able to keep her completely in the dark, which is not bloody likely, or Maya knows something we don't," she said, looking up to meet his amber eyes. "I know my friend. She is not with the Death Eaters and she certainly wouldn't be with Snape if she thought he was on their side."

"If we are all finished discussing my sex life," Maya said loudly, entering the crowded sitting room. Gasps broke out across the room and eyes immediately dropped to the floor or the ceiling. Minerva and Augusta Longbottom nearly dropped their tea cups and were suddenly taken with coughing fits. Tonks and Remus smiled at her American audaciousness. Maya gave Tonks a warm hug and took a seat next to her friend.

"You look wonderful, married life agrees with you!" Maya said.

"It does! How are you?" Tonks asked, noticing Maya's tired eyes.

"I'll be okay."

After one last look at his watch, Remus stood. It was time to start the meeting. "Can we all come to order, please? Thank you. Let's get started, shall we? On the agenda for tonight are planning the security detail for Bill and Flur's upcoming wedding and making preparations for the start of term at Hogwart's. For those that wish to stay, at the end we'll take a few minutes to remember Mad-Eye and anyone is free to say a few words." The rest of the meeting was a blur for Remus.

The Order, under the patient and capable hands of Remus Lupin, planned the security details for Bill and Flur's wedding. Sentries and code words were established. Check points were decided on as well as the plan for how to best disguise Harry Potter who would, of course, be attending the wedding. Kingsley discussed how to best coordinate with the Auror office. He would not be attending since he would be guarding the muggle Prime Minister.

At the end of the meeting, Remus conjured trays of shot glasses that filled themselves. "Now that the business is finished, we also want to take time tonight to honor a great wizard who fell doing what he loved - keeping others safe from dark wizards, fighting the good fight. Let's raise a glass to Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, whose heart I have no doubt is in the Highlands as we speak. To Mad-Eye."

"To Mad-Eye!" the room echoed and there was the silent pause as everyone downed their drinks. In the back, there was sputtering from Fred and George Weasley and chuckling from some of the older witches and wizards.

Tonks raised her glass with the others and toasted Mad-Eye with misty eyes but as the others finished their drinks, she lowered her glass and discretely vanished the contents with a wave of her hand. Maya raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "No fire whiskey for me for a while," Tonks whispered.

Maya looked at her with confusion and then her eyes went wide. It was all she could do not to squeal in delight in front of the whole room. "When?"

"Just found out," she said with a grin that made her whole face glow.

"Does Remus know?"

"I told him this morning. He nearly choked on his tea!"

"Tonks, this is fantastic! Can we celebrate before I have to leave?"

"I was counting on it! I won't get to see you for Merlin knows how long." Tonks smiled as Remus walked up, leaving the rest of the room to reminisce in their memories about Mad-Eye.

Maya couldn't stop herself and pulled the mild-mannered wizard into a hug. "Congratulations!" she whispered.

He flushed a brilliant shade of pink. "Thank you, still sinking in I think. With all of this going on, I haven't had a chance to wrap my head around it all yet."

"I am so excited for you both!"

"Thank you," he said shyly then turned serious. "Maya, are you sure you won't assist with the security detail for the wedding? We could sure use you."

"Not on your life!" said Molly Weasley loudly as she marched over from her place across the room, her oldest sons Bill and Charlie following in her wake. "I will not have that witch anywhere near my son's wedding. It would be like giving Severus Snape an open invitation to finish the job. He already tried to kill George once this week!"

"Mum!" shouted Bill and Charlie in unison.

"Maya's been in Romania working with me on a mission from Dumbledore for months! She's not a traitor or a Death Eater."

"How do you know she's not really working for him?" Molly said hotly.

"I think that answers your question, Remus," Maya said dryly, trying with difficulty not to lose her temper with the witch who was only worried for the safety of her children.

"It certainly does!" Molly shot back.

"Maya, I'm so sorry," Charlie tried to apologize.

"Remus, please let me know if there is anything else I can do." She looked past Molly, at Charlie. "I'll see you back at camp." Maya started for the door, leaving the Bill and Charlie trying to calm their mother. Remus and Tonks walked with her through the crowded sitting room to the back door. The curious and accusing eyes of other Order members followed her as she walked by.

Once they were out of earshot, Remus paused, his hand on the doorknob. "You know that Death Eater had me dead to rights. If it hadn't been for Severus's curse I'd be dead right now. When I think about it, it doesn't seem to me that Severus was aiming for George at all. Curious, don't you think? Good night, Maya," he said and headed back into the house.

"Good night, Remus. Congratulations again."

"Don't worry about Molly. She'll simmer down eventually. Come to dinner one night this week. We have to catch up before you leave again," Tonks said, hugging Maya tightly.

"I will, I promise. Merlin! I can't believe it, you're going to be a mum!" Maya hugged her back.

"I know! It's exciting and terrifying and unbelievable all at the same time!" The friends embraced one last time and Maya crossed the sweet-smelling garden that was in full summer bloom. She couldn't have imagined a place that would have been more perfect for Tonks and Remus.

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

The muggle pub in Devon was busy, the Saturday evening crowd buzzing with laughter and cheering as regulars blew off steam after a long work week. Young and old alike gathered around the bar, eyes raised to the telly mounted above the barman, cheering on the local football club as they played their rival. The room erupted in deafening cheers and a boisterous round of the club chant in celebration as their star player scored another goal.

Maya sat at a corner table swirling the last of her drink around the bottom of her glass. She had refused to be anywhere near the Burrow for the wedding. Molly Weasley had made her feelings about Maya crystal clear, and frankly, Maya was happy to skip the wedding all together. Bill was a perfect gentleman and Flur seemed nice enough, but the idea of sitting through another wedding set her teeth on edge. She tried not to think too long on why the wedding irritated her so much. _It's not as if I have any desire to be married?_ she thought. So she sat in a muggle pub because Remus Lupin had asked her to stay close in case there was trouble. Maya had passed on Severus's warning and Remus wanted to be prepared for anything.

The football fans erupted into cheers once again and Maya downed the last swallow of her drink. She was about to raise her glass at the barman to order another when her pendant burned. She looked up instinctively, expecting to see Severus's dark figure somewhere in the crowd, not realizing until that moment how much she wanted to see his dark eyes looking back at her. Instead his voice echoed through her mind, clear and loud.

"The Minister is dead. He has taken control of the Ministry. They are on their way!"

Maya banged her knee as she shot up from the table. She quickly threw down a ten pound note and headed for the door. As soon as it was safe she vanished, appearing just outside the wards of the Burrow. Music and laughter filled her ears as she ran across the pasture sending her patronus to warn Remus she was on her way. Remus and Tonks burst through a flap in the great marquee just as she reached it.

"Scrimgeour's dead and they've taken control of the Ministry! They're on their way! We have to get people out of here!" she heaved, catching her breath.

"Tonks, go alert the others," Remus said calmly.

"On it!" Tonks said, turning to go back through the flap, but she was stopped in her tracks by the sight of a patronus speeding towards them.

The silvery Linx of Kingsley Shacklebolt streaked past and his voice boomed over the music and laughter of the party inside, announcing the same warning to the gathered crowd. Screams erupted and panic broke out as wedding guests scattered and tried to flee. In the sky, inky streaks of smoke rocketed towards them.

"They've broken through the wards!" Maya shouted. "Remus, get Harry out of here. We'll hold them off out here as long as possible."

Remus gave Tonks a concerned look. "Go, I'll be fine," Tonks said and then he was off.

Tonks cast a quick protective spell on the marquee hoping to buy the guests inside enough time to get to safety. A jet of red sparks whizzed dangerously close to Maya's face.

Death Eaters were firing off curses before they were even fully materialized. Tonks and Maya stood shoulder to shoulder blocking curses and returning fire at their attackers as soon as they were solid enough to hit. Wedding guests were running in every direction and those who could, vanished on the spot. The scene was chaos as Maya and Tonks tried to block curses and return fire without accidentally hitting bystanders running for safety.

An inky swirl of smoke landed not far from them, quickly taking the shape of a woman, hair and eyes wild. "Oh, who we have here? Why, it's my dear sister's whelp and Dumbledore's secret security officer. Not so good at your job, were you? In case you've forgotten, we killed him right under your dainty little nose."

"Careful Bella, don't get too sure of yourself. From what I hear you aren't your master's pet these days," Maya said coolly, twirling her wand as she took a step closer to the witch. The Death Eater's face contorted in rage and she attacked with lightning speed. Maya was able to cast a shield charm in time. The next thing she knew Bella's husband and Fenrir Greyback had joined the fight.

Maya blocked a curse from Greyback easily but almost missed his second curse. Greyback's magic and dueling were sloppy but he made up for skill with his werewolf's speed. The disheveled werewolf lunged in Tonks direction, teeth bared in a snarl.

"Watch it, Tonks!" Maya shouted.

Tonks, who was exchanging curses and insults with her insane aunt, narrowly stepped back in time. Greyback hit the ground hard and grabbed hold of Tonks' calf with a large hairy hand, fingernails like claws digging into her leg. Tonks yelped in pain and kicked at the werewolf.

A curse from Roldolphus Lestrange connected with Maya's elbow sending fire up her arm. Bellatrix tried to take advantage of Maya's wounded arm. Maya quickly blocked Bellatrix's curse and sent a curse back, knocking the witch off her feet. Bellatrix screamed and Maya turned just in time to hit Greyback in the back as he was pulling himself to his feet. She and Tonks were outnumbered. They couldn't go on like this for much longer.

"Ta!" Tonks shouted. "Look out!"

Maya spun to miss the full force of Bella's freezing curse and she screamed as the freezing burn of frostbite bloomed across her wand hand. Maya felt her anger boil over and her vision swam in waves of heat. She didn't realize she had conjured the ball of fire until she saw the flames reflected back at her in Bellatrix's dark eyes. Fear and recognition passed over the Death Eater's face. Maya launched the fire at the witch, and Bella bolted for the edge of the wards, her husband and Greyback close behind her.

"I swear I will kill that witch!" Maya muttered when she had calmed down enough to speak.

"Merlin's beard! Since when do you use elemental magic?" Tonks gaped at Maya. "You'd have roasted her alive if she hadn't apparated in time!"

"It's only happened twice. The last time it happened was when Severus and I dueled last year, before we worked things out. I was so angry and frustrated with him." Maya took a deep breath to slow her racing heart. "Like just now, I was just angry and trying very hard not to transform and snap her head off in my jaws. Lucky for her I hesitated." Her voice was flat with no hint of remorse.

"I think you've spent too much time with the dragons, My."

"I think you may be right."

"Tonks! Maya! Are you alright?" Remus and Arthur Weasley were coming from the direction of the house. Bill and Charlie were close behind them.

"Yes, we're both fine, nothing that some quick healing charms can't put right," Tonks reassured her husband.

"You're bleeding!" Remus' voice was tight and steeped in worry.

"It's nothing."

"I can smell Greyback all over you!" His voice raised an octave, his heightened wolf's senses on overload.

"Remus, it's not a bite – he grabbed her, they're claw marks. No transformation, no saliva, there is no contagion. I promise. She's okay," Maya said gently.

Remus looked nervously from Maya to Tonks, a glimmer of hope edging into his eyes. "You're sure? No bites?"

"No bites." Tonks said and Maya nodded her head in agreement.

Remus' shoulders finally relaxed and he let out a sigh, crushing Tonks to his chest. "Thank Merlin, you're all right. Most of the Death Eaters have fled. There was some damage to the house, but we should be able to repair it quickly with all of us here to help."

Maya looked to Arthur and Charlie. "How are Molly and the kids?"

"Molly and Ginny are fine – Ron, Harry, and Hermione are," Arthur's voice cracked slightly.

"Harry, Ron, and Hermione got out safely," Remus finished for him.

"Molly's in a right state with them just running off like that."

"Dad, it was for the best. They'll be safe now," Bill said, putting a hand on his father's shoulder.

"But they're just kids," Arthur said, looking up into the night sky, worry lining his face and clouding his eyes.

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

Maya sat in bed, cozy under the duvet in the Lupins' spare room at Wolf's Lodge. She sipped her tea, the Daily Profit spread out on her lap. She had known the news was coming. He had told her himself weeks before but seeing it in print next to his scowling photo was still a shock. The front page was taken up mostly with shorter stories about new appointments to almost every office in the Ministry. But the story that dominated all the others and took the headline was the appointment of the new Headmaster at Hogwarts.

"SNAPE APPOINTED HEADMASTER" glared up at her in boldface type, turning her blood cold. The situation was unimaginable. She knew Severus didn't want the position and everyone now thought he was a loyal Death Eater – a murderer. None of his old colleagues would welcome him back. The story reported that several other professors would be joining the staff this year, all of them known Death Eaters. The Death Eaters had obviously taken control of the paper because there was not a single word about Scrimgeour's death.

She sighed and finished her tea, then dressed in the comfortable traveling clothes she had left out last night. The kitchen was quiet as she entered. It was a cheerful room, flooded with sunlight. Maya poured herself another cup of tea from the kettle and tossed the paper in the bin before sitting at the small breakfast table. After the attack on the Burrow, they found out that the homes of several other Order members had been attacked. Everyone who had not done so already had fled to safehouses. The apartment above Zonko's wasn't safe. There were wards on the apartment but if the Death Eaters burned the shop below the wards would not hold. After much urging on the part of Tonks and Remus, Maya had returned to stay at Wolf's Lodge before leaving for Romania with Charlie.

She looked up at the sound of footfalls on the stairs. Tonks appeared in the kitchen, bleary eyes and pink hair sticking up on one side of her head.

"Morning," Maya said.

"Morning," Tonks said around a yawn as she reached for a mug, pouring herself a cup of tea.

"I thought married life was supposed to have you waking up bright eyed and singing like Snow White."

"Rubbish," Tonks mumbled. "Even waking up to Remus can't turn me into a morning person. Are there any of those Digestive Biscuits left? They're the only thing that settles my stomach in the morning."

"Yes, and I bought you a new package when I went into the village yesterday. I had forgotten how good these were." Maya handed the package over to Tonks as she sat down at the table. "It's not too bad is it?"

"Nah, it usually passes by lunch time." She soaked a biscuit in her tea and munched carefully, taking small sips.

"Better?" Maya asked after a few minutes.

"Much."

Maya smiled. "I'm sorry I have to leave. I really am happy for you both."

"You are really? The timing is bloody awful but I am so excited I could explode." Tonks beamed. "But then I think about the war and that I won't be able to help once I get far along. Remus is already worrying about me and I feel guilty."

"You have nothing to feel guilty about, either of you! Babies are wonderful news! You both deserve to be happy. He will worry – you can't stop that and you need to let him keep you safe even if you want to fight it."

"I hate sitting on the side lines."

"I know you do, but like you said once you get a little farther along it will be harder for you to defend yourself and Remus can't fight his instincts. He can't do what he needs to do if he's worried about you in a fight."

"Funny, I overheard Hermione say the same thing to Ginny the night of Bill's wedding. But you're right. I know you're right. I turned in my notice yesterday."

"What?"

"Didn't you hear? Umbridge has been put in charge of investigating all Ministry employees, making sure they are 'qualified' and that means pure blood. My dad's muggle-born. I'm married to a werewolf –pregnant - and a metamorph. I'd be getting the sack any day now, so I gave my notice. I promised Remus no more missions after Bill's wedding. I'll stay here, help him manage things from the safety of our sitting room."

"But it's all worth it isn't it?" It really wasn't a question.

"Being married? Abso-bloody-lutely!" She grinned again. "I've never been happier in my life." Comfortable silence settled between them for several moments as they finished their tea and biscuits. "My, you're not going back to Romania because of _him,_ are you?"

"Severus? No, I really do have to finish my assignment with Charlie. But I can't say I'm not glad to be gone – except for you, of course," she added quickly. "It's not easy being here."

"You miss him."

"Every day. Tonks, please believe me. Harry doesn't know everything. I know in my heart that Severus is not what people think he is."

Tonks reached across the table, taking Maya's hand in hers. "For your sake, I hope you're right."

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

A knock sounded at the back door. Maya and Tonks both reflexively reached for their wands. Maya stood and crossed to the door. "Password," she demanded.

"Magister militum," answered a familiar voice from the other side.

Maya opened the door and Charlie Weasley smiled at them as he walked into the kitchen. "Morning ladies."

"Good morning, Charlie. I'll be ready in a tic, just have to run up and grab my bag."

"I can't believe it's time for you to go already," said Tonks.

"We want to head out before bad weather sets in over the mountains," Charlie said.

"I'll be back before you know it." Maya turned to go back up the stairs to get her things.

"You better be," Tonks muttered.

When Maya came back down, she had put on the black traveling cloak that Severus had given her, her rucksack in one hand. "I'm ready," she said.

Tonks stood and gave Maya a fierce hug. "Be careful both of you. Everything is tits up out there. Use the emergency portkey if you get into trouble or need to send a message quick."

"I will, I promise." Maya said. Charlie hugged Tonks and walked out to the garden to wait for Maya. "Be careful. Say goodbye to Remus for me and thank him for letting me stay."

"Nonsense. It was as much his idea as it was mine. Now get out of here before my hormones go haywire!" Tonks sniffed giving Maya one last hug before they walked out the door.

Even in early September, crossing the mountains of Eastern Europe was a cold and daunting journey. The dementors made traveling even worse. Since Voldemort's overthrow at the Ministry dementors were swarming across the UK and Europe, leaving cold desolation in their wake. Muggles were reporting staggering increases in depression all across the continent, unaware of the creatures in their midst and the effects they had on humans. With Death Eaters out in the open, Maya and Charlie didn't dare make a long distance apparition. They followed her route from last May, making short jumps with apparition and walking when it was safe. They managed to get through Prague and Istanbul without sighting any Death Eaters or running into the pack of werewolves.

"Should we rest and walk the rest of the way?" Charlie asked as they reached the edge of the forest, still a day's walk from the dragon colony.

Maya took in the dense forest around her. Ancient trees reached up to the heavens, blocking out the sky and somewhere an unseen raven called out. She looked at her watch and frowned. "It'll be dark soon. I think it would be best to push on to the safety of camp. The last thing we need is to run into a dementor in this forest at night."

"Good point." Charlie sat on a log and drained his canteen.

"Here." Maya handed him a flask from her pack. The metal was warm to the touch. "I picked it up in the village while I was scouting it out this morning."

Charlie took an eager swig then sputtered. "Is this tea?"

"It is. It will keep you warm and we need to have our wits about us."

"I suppose you're right." He took a more gingerly drink from the flask. He passed the flask back to her. "You know those things my mum says are rubbish right?"

"Your mother is terrified, Charlie, and she has every reason to be." Maya took a cautious sip before putting the cap tightly on the flask and placing it back in her pack. "Come on, let's get going, shall we? One hop left and we'll be back at camp."

Charlie pulled himself to his feet and they walked another fifty meters into the forest. Once they were certain they could not be seen from the road they vanished.

The smell of burning fire and pine met Maya's senses before she opened her eyes. When she did open them, the familiar sight of the hut they used as an office greeted her, smoke plumed from the chimney. Norbert and a Welsh Green named Wynnie watched them patiently in the paddock.

"Hello, you two." Maya greeted each dragon by placing a hand to their warm snouts. The dragons bowed their heads in acknowledgement.

They entered the hut and dropped their packs on the floor at the small table and stared at each other, puzzled looks on their faces. The tiny office hut looked exactly the same, but there was one critical difference. The hut smelled amazing. Someone was cooking and it smelled wonderful. He walked over to the office's small cooker and lifted a lid. He groaned in appreciation.

"That's not ready yet. It needs another hour or so to simmer."

Maya and Charlie both turned around to see the silhouette of a woman in the open doorway. Maya didn't need to see the woman's face to know who it was. She'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Claire!"

"I got your warning just in time. I took the emergency port key and it dropped me here?"

"Dumbledore must have assumed this would be the safest place for us to meet up when you arrived. I'm glad you came. It's been a rough few months for all of us." Maya hugged her friend tightly, then remembered they were not alone. Charlie watched them, looking like a fourth year trying to work up the courage to ask a girl out to Hogsmeade for the first time. "I'm so sorry. Claire, this handsome lad is Charlie Weasley. Charlie, this is one of my oldest friends, from America, Claire Proctor."

"Welcome to camp," Charlie stuttered turning a shade of pink that clashed with his red hair as he took her hand.

"Thank you so much. Iain and Sorina let me stay until you arrived."

"Speaking of, where did they get off too?" Charlie asked.

"They said there's a Hungarian Horntail on the other side of the colony that's under the weather. They've been out there all day, that's why I went ahead and started something for dinner. It sounded like tiring work." Claire grimaced.

"I better go see if they need a hand. That Horntail can be a handful, especially when he's feeling off," Charlie said, grabbing a pair of dragon hide gloves from a shelf. "I'll see you ladies later."

"Come keep me company and tell me about your year while I finish dinner," Claire said.

Maya made them each a cup of tea and before they knew it Iain, Sorina and Charlie were back and dinner was ready.

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

Maya frowned into the cauldron, giving it another stir and prodding the flames with her wand. The heat and steam from the small cauldron made her tent suffocatingly warm. The smell of simmering yarrow and the tang of blood hung thick in the air. She had returned to the dragon colony a week ago. Every evening after dinner she excused herself to return to her tent, sitting hunched over the cauldron or one of the dozen potion texts she had brought with her. The vials of Phoenix tears and vampire's blood lay on the table in front of her mockingly.

"Damn it!" she hissed. She had just tried another substance as a binding agent and yet again it had failed to complete the anti-dote. This made her tenth failure since returning to Romania.

"Maya? Are you okay?" It was Claire's voice on the other side of the tent flap.

"Yes." Maya sighed. "Come on in."

"What are you doing?" Claire said, entering the small tent, nose wrinkled her nose at the bitter smell coming from the cauldron. She surveyed the potion ingredients scattered across the table.

"The Dark Lord's snake is bewitched with dark magic. The bite doesn't heal and the victim usually dies within minutes either from blood loss or from the deadly venom. He's been known to use the snake as a weapon in the past. I've been trying to create an anti-venom."

"How horrible," Claire said, revulsion revulsion washed over her face.

Maya's eyes were frantic. "Yes, I have the main ingredients. But I can't find the binding agent. I've tried everything I can get my hands on, but I can't find the right ingredient to bind them. Nothing I've tried works! I'm running out of time." Maya rubbed her hands across her face in frustration.

Claire put a calming hand on her friends shoulder. "You're countering a piece of incredibly dark magic, yes?" she asked slowly.

Maya nod her head. "I've tried everything from unicorn hair to dragon's scales to Gryffindor's toenails. What else is there?"

"Blood magic, maybe?"

"But I am already using vampire's blood-"

"That's for healing, you need something binding – like love." Claire met Maya's eyes.

"Love?"

"Love's the strongest binding agent there is," Claire said with a knowing smile.

"Glad to see your optimism is returning." Maya knew she wasn't fooling Claire for a second.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19:** Beyond The Barricade*

* Do You Hear The People Sing, (1980). Les Miserables, Claude-Michel Schonberg (Music), Herbert Kretzmer, James Fenton, Jean-Marc Natel, Alain Boublil (Lyrics), Victor Hugo (Book).

The large formal dining room of Malfoy Manor was silent, its occupants seated around the long elegant banquet table. Most of them looked down, too terrified to look at the head of the table where the Dark Lord sat glaring at each one of them with his inhuman red eyes. The air was thick with tension and dim light from a chandelier cast long shadows across their bleak faces.

"He is one seventeen year old boy with no family to help him. He is not even a fully trained wizard. How has he continued elude you all?" the Dark Lord hissed. His followers looked back at him nervously. "Even those of you who claim to be my most loyal servants – nothing but failure after failure!" He turned his red eyes to Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy, all of whom had the sense to look down contritely. Bellatrix, who sat next to a trembling Draco, looked up at her master with pleading wild eyes and whimpered an apology. The Dark Lord ignored her and turned his attention to the rest of the group.

Severus now sat to the Dark Lord's immediate right and from this vantage point he could see most of the other followers, could read the fear and apprehension on their faces. With the help of occlumency, he kept his face and mind carefully blank. The task was easier these days. He had fewer memories of happier times to shield from the Dark Lord. His last moments before entering this nightmare seemed a lifetime ago. How could it have been only five months since he left Maya in the small flat in Hogsmeade? Severus mentally shook himself and focused on the conversation in front of him.

"Perhaps I have not made myself clear. I want that boy, and I want him now. Alive. Crispin, stand and come to me!"

Severus watched as Crispin, the Death Eater chosen by Fenrir Greyback to be the Chief Snatcher and responsible for monitoring any rumors about Potter's location, stood shakily and staggered to the Dark Lord's end of the table. Severus could not help but pity the young man; he would be having a long and painful night. The Dark Lord raised his wand and sent Crispin hurtling backwards, landing with a sickening crack as his head hit the marble floor. His body twitched and seized as the Cruciatus curse ignited every nerve in his body at once. In seconds, he was screaming as fiery pain ripped through his body. Severus was sure the boy could take no more. The Dark Lord lowered his wand and Crispin crumpled to the floor in a heap like rags. He moved no more.

"I hope I've made myself clear. I will not accept failure again. Fenrir, use more discretion in choosing his replacement." The Dark Lord paused, looking down the long table. "Grady and Connell, you have something to report?"

"Absolutely, my lord. Connell has identified Grindelwald as the thief who stole the wand you seek from the Russian wand maker, Gregorovitch. Grindelwald is still alive and imprisoned in his cell at Nurmengard," Grady said confidently.

"Excellent."

"There is more my lord. Putnam has gathered all of the American followers under his command. They await your word.. Oleg Zorya is also preparing followers across Eastern Europe and Russia. They will be at your side when you call."

"What marvelous news, Grady! You have done well. I will leave the coordination of their forces in your capable hands. Leave Grindelwald to me. Severus, finish up here and await my instructions." The Dark Lord stood and strode from the room, leaving his followers to stare at each other furtively, all eager to flee but too afraid to stand.

"Yes, my lord," Severus said calmly. He turned his eyes to the remaining death eaters seated around the table. "You may go. I do not believe the Dark Lord has any other use for us at the present. Draco do make sure that Crispin's body is attended to, it wouldn't do to leave him lying on your mother's well-polished floor." Severus stood, eager to be away from the stifling room and into the open air.

"Thank you, Severus," Narcissa said quietly. He gave her a nod of acknowledgement. He had to admire her. Throughout her family's disgrace, she had maintained her dignity, unlike her husband and sister. She reminded him of Maya - and Lily. Once outside, he filled his lungs with crisp winter air hoping to purge some of the oppressiveness that surrounded the Dark Lord.

"Snape!" Bellatrix spat before he could reach the edges of the manor's wards.

He groaned inwardly. The witch's paranoia, though well placed, was relentless. "What do you want, Bella? I'm very busy."

"You do not fool me, Snape! You never did. I know your secret!" she hissed in his ear.

Severus felt a cold chill run down his spine and he strengthened his mental barriers against her use of legilimency. "I don't know what it is you think you know, but I assure you it is of no consequence to me."

"Go on with your occlumency. I don't need to see into your mind anymore. I've figured it out for myself." Severus' eyes scanned the courtyard. It was empty.

Bellatrix grinned at him like a cat that had cornered a mouse. "Maya Ladon," she purred softly. He stared at her blankly.

"I had wondered when such a powerful witch showed up at the department of Mysteries and no one seemed to have any idea of her identity. And then Draco said Ravenhill was at Hogwarts and no one had ever heard of her either. Draco said you had taken up with the new head of security." Bella said the title with a mocking lilt in her voice. "I thought there was something familiar about her when we dueled in the astronomy tower."

"I would hardly call it a duel. She nearly took your head off with that curse."

"She did not!" Bella spat. "And when we attacked the Blood Traitor Weasley's wedding, she challenged me again. She wielded fire as easily as a dragon breathes it out into the night. I remembered Grady's reports about the Black Dragon and the rumors that Maya Ladon had been seen alive but had disappeared in America over a year ago. Ladon is The Dragon and Dumbledore was hiding her in his coat pocket. And do you know what else, Severus? I finally remembered what was so familiar about her – you reeked of her scent that night, the night Cissy insisted we go to you, the night you made the unbreakable vow. You have been sharing her bed for over a year!" Her insane eyes practically glowed with delight and her face was a twisted distortion of smugness.

It had taken a great deal of control for Severus not to so much as blink when Bella had said Maya's name and even more when she correctly deduced her identity. "Frankly I have heard no decisive evidence that Andrew Ladon's daughter is even alive, let alone in England. _If_ Maya Ladon were alive and _if_ Dumbledore was hiding her, it is news to me. Much like the Dark Lord, Dumbledore kept many secrets. As for any time I may have spent with India Ravenhill, you witnessed my vow with Narcissa. What better way to help ensure that Draco would be successful than to become intimately acquainted with the head of castle security? Draco in his stubbornness was certainly not giving me any opportunity to help him. I saw no evidence that she was anyone but who she claimed to be."

"So you say!"

"Please, Bella. Go on, spread your tales. Who will believe your lies now? You have failed our master twice now. Disobeying his orders to not assist Draco was the nail in your coffin, was it not? Have you noticed that he hasn't trusted you with anything more important than creating mischief since Dumbledore's death? While the rest of us were trying to capture Harry Potter or positioned at Hogwarts where were you? Biding time at Malfoy Manor, watching prisoners that others have already questioned. You've been cast aside, Bella. I would be wary of making things any worse for yourself or our Master may decide that you have become a liability." He let his words hang in the air for a moment then strode away. He clenched his fists to stop them from shaking with fury.

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Leaves, frozen and crisp with frost, crunched beneath Severus's boots as he made his way through the forest by the light of the moon. He didn't mind being out of the castle on Boxing Day. He had never been one for making a fuss about Christmas, but this year he was particularly glad to be shod of it. As cold and foreboding as the forest was, it was a respite from the frozen mist and rain brought on by the constant presence of the dementors at Hogwarts.

He laughed darkly to himself. ' _I have to be insane.'_ He was taking orders portraits now. Phineas Nigellus Black was widely known as the least liked headmaster in Hogwarts history, at least before Severus had been appointed. The Slytherin headmaster had portraits that hung both in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts and at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Hermione Granger, ever the know-it-all, had realized both the risk and usefulness of the joined portraits and had been keeping the portrait from Grimmauld Place inside a bespelled handbag. Phineas had overheard Granger and Potter and learned that they were camped in the Forest of Dean. Weasley was no longer with them.

Dumbledore's portrait had instructed Severus to use the opportunity to give Potter the Sword of Gryffindor that he had secretly hidden behind Dumbledore's portrait. Of course Dumbledore's portrait was just as secretive as the wizard and steadfastly refused to tell Severus why it was so bloody important to get the sword to Potter. Thanks to Phineas, finding Potter would be the easy part of the task. The challenge was that Potter thought Snape was a murderer and was likely to attack him or flee before Severus could give him the sword. Potter would think that anything from Snape had to be a trap.

Severus stood on the edge of a clearing lit by moonlight. The small glade appeared empty but Severus' instincts told him this was the right place. He was grudgingly impressed by the quality of the protective spells they had cast over the area, but the tracks left in the wood gave away their location. Someone had made trips for firewood and water.

He cast a disillusionment charm that would hide him from anyone who might be hiding in the wood, and walked several yards into the forest until he found a small pool that had frozen over. He took the sword out from his coat. With a wave of his hand the sword vanished and reappeared at the bottom of the pool, waiting for a reckless Gryffindor to break through the ice and retrieve it. Dumbledore had been clear that Potter must retrieve the sword through an act of bravery.

Severus pointed his wand in the direction of the clearing. "Expecto Patronum," he muttered. The shimmering doe was translucent and dim, vanishing all together after a few seconds. Severus stared in confusion at the space where the doe he had come to think of as 'Lily' had been. He had never had difficulty producing the patronus before. His memories of Lily were always strong and vivid. Cherished times sitting with her under the canopy of trees near his home in Spinner's End or of the night she held his hand while they ordered chips in a muggle shop had always produced a very solid corporeal patronus. The doe was a perfect copy of Lily's patronus. He had kept his ability to conjure a second patronus a well-guarded secret that only Dumbledore, knew.

He frowned and tried again. "Expecto Patronum!" The doe was slightly brighter and managed to circle him once before vanishing in a shimmer. "Please, Lily. Help me!" he pleaded, his hand going absently to the place where Lily's photo rested in his coat pocket. He closed his eyes, picturing the photo of her smiling and waving at the camera and the torn letter with the words, "Love, Lily" written in her elegant feminine script. Severus raised his wand.

"Expecto Patronum!" This time the doe that burst from his wand glowed radiant silver. She circled him slowly and sniffed the air before coming to a stop, nuzzling at his wand hand. He gave her a sad smile. "You know what to do," he said softly. She nodded and turned, flicking her tail once before making her way to the clearing.

Severus positioned himself behind a tree where he was well hidden both by the disillusionment charm and the shadows of the forest. After several moments, he was beginning to think that his plan would not work or that perhaps he had picked the wrong place. Then suddenly Potter crossed the protective wards, appearing at the edge of the clearing.

He watched silently as Potter gazed at the doe then followed it the short distance to the frozen pool. The doe paused lowering its delicate head to the edge of the pool as if taking a cool drink. She shimmered for a moment then vanished into the night.

Potter stared blankly down at the pool and then recognition flooded his face. The boy raised his wand and muttered a spell. Ice cracked leaving a whole just large enough for a man to slip through. Potter toed off his shoes and stripped off his pants and shirt. He took a few deep breaths then dove through the hole in the ice with a shocked gasp.

The time ticked by – one minute, a minute-thirty seconds, the boy wasn't coming up. Severus quickly estimated how long the average person could hold their breath underwater. Surely not longer than two minutes? Severus swore under his breath. He would have to go in and drag the boy out before he drowned!

As he moved from the shadows, a snap of twigs echoed through the trees. Severus froze, eyes sharp, looking for anyone else in the dark woods. A small point of light drew near the pool and Severus could see the tall lanky outline of a teenager. Severus was acutely aware of the fact that Potter was still in the pool – two minutes now?

The features of Ronald Weasley came into view. Weasley took in the sight and immediately jumped into the pool. In seconds he had drug the Boy-Who-Lived to the surface and was hauling his limp body onto the frozen earth. In his other hand, Weasley grasped the Sword of Gryffindor, tossing it on the ground next to Potter's body. Potter jerked to life and he shook with wracking coughs as he spewed water and froth from his lungs. Severus let out a sigh of relief. He watched a few moments longer to make sure that the boys made it safely back through the protective wards before vanishing into the night.

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The halls were empty as Severus made his way through the castle and up the spiral staircase to the Headmaster's office. There had been no Boxing Day Quidditch matches or students sneaking down to raid the kitchens for Christmas feast leftovers. The only students who had stayed for the holiday were Slytherins and even they seemed to prefer the common room to the dreariness of the rest of the castle.

' _Good_ ,' he thought. He did not want to speak with anyone tonight. Since he had left Potter and Weasley in the Forest of Dean his thoughts had returned to the doe and the difficulty he had in casting it, uncertain about what this new development meant. Lily's photo and letter had helped him keep focus. They reminded him of his promise and why he was doing all of this, of how much he had to atone for. Severus thought he had forgotten the photo of himself and Maya in his office drawer when he left the day of Dumbledore's funeral. Maya must have slipped it into his coat the last time he saw her. He had found it weeks later, the night of the Halloween feast, when he had taken Lily's photo out to look at her smiling face. It was the sixteenth anniversary of her death. He had wanted to remember her whole and happy and had found the photo of Maya behind it. A part of him had felt guilty in that moment. More and more lately, Lily's photo seemed heavy in his pocket. He had to wonder, was this what prevented him from casting the doe tonight?

As he entered the office, he locked and warded the door. He sat heavily at the desk and pulled a bottle of fire whiskey and a glass from the bottom drawer, pouring himself a small measure of the amber liquid. His thoughts continued to churn. Had his relationship with Maya conflicted his feelings for Lily? Were they stopping him from keeping his oath to her and to Dumbledore?

"All went well I assume?" Dumbledore's portrait spoke up from behind him.

Severus turned in his chair to look at Dumbledore. "Yes, Potter was right where Phineas Nigellus said he would be."

"Was there any doubt?" came the sneering voice from Headmaster Black's portrait farther up the wall. Severus raised his glass in silent salute to the previous Slytherin headmaster.

"What troubles you, my boy?" Dumbledore asked.

"I had difficulty conjuring the doe tonight."

"How very interesting."

"It's not interesting. It feels like an omen. If I lose my focus, even for a moment –"

"You have been doing a fine job, my boy. I have the utmost faith in you. Any idea what the trouble may have been?"

Severus said nothing but looked away.

"You think this has something to do with your bond with Maya?" The Dumbledore in the portrait sat in his chair at the high table in the great hall. It gave him the appearance of a king on his throne.

"How can a man honor one woman's memory and have a magical bond with another? I can't just forget her," Severus muttered, looking down at the glass in his hands.

"If anything, I think your feelings for Ms. Ladon have allowed you to complete your task better than we could have ever expected."

Severus frowned and looked up into the eyes of the Headmaster's portrait self. "Bellatrix has guessed her identity. It is only her disgrace with the Dark Lord that keeps anyone from believing her."

"Then let's hope Riddle underestimates her for a little while longer."

"I cannot have another woman's blood on my hands, Dumbledore."

"If you don't mind my saying so, Severus, I think Maya Ladon is a far better match for you than Lily ever was." Severus's frown deepened to a scowl. "Maya is your match in intellect and skill and she can understand your soul. She values the man you are, not the man she would want you to become."

"It's of no consequence. I have no future I can offer her. Besides, if she's half as intelligent as you give her credit for she will have moved on, lain her future with someone who is more likely to come out of this in one piece. Someone like Weasley."

"Never lose hope, Severus. All is not yet lost."

"Don't worry Dumbledore, I won't go to pieces this time." Severus turned and threw the glass into the fireplace; it exploded into a thousand splinters. "You got your way. I'll fight to the end just like I promised."

"I always knew you would, my boy."

 **Coming soon: Chapter 20: Far Away ...**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Far Away***

* Far Away (2006). All the Right Reasons; Nickelback. Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger, Daniel Adair.

The March night air was chilled but held in it the scent of the approaching spring. The forest smelled rich and alive. The trees held buds that would soon open to provide a lush green canopy. Severus approached the edge of a clearing, a small cottage just in sight. Smoke rose from the chimney and all but one window was dark. He didn't dare cross the wards. Nymphadora Tonks may have insanely pink hair and be as clumsy as the day was long, but she _was_ an Auror and he she was with child. The wolf was apt to be incredibly protective and territorial given her condition. He opted instead for sending a patronus and hoping the wolf's curiosity would bring him out to meet Severus at the edge of the wards.

The sound of rustling grass caught his attention and he keened his eyes in the darkness. The form of a man appeared in the dim light of the quarter moon, wand in hand. The man walked to the edge of the wards and Severus could make out the features of Remus Lupin, albeit with a great deal more grey hair and several fresh scars.

Remus sniffed at the air and paused for a moment, then performed a detection spell for good measure. When he was satisfied that there was only one presence on the other side of the wards he approached the edge.

Severus stepped out from the shadows and cast a dim glow from the tip of his wand. "Lupin."

"Severus? She's not here, Severus." Lupin's amber eyes sized him up.

Severus couldn't help sweeping his gaze to the small cottage and the clearing. He had to admit that part of him had hoped he would see her here. "I understand you have taken charge?" Severus asked.

Lupin's only response was a barely noticeable nod of the head.

"I come with a report. A warning."

"Are you here as Dumbledore's man, as a member of the Order, or as You Know Who's henchman? You _are_ his right hand these days, as I understand."

"The Dark Lord has visited Hogwarts. He has the Elder wand."

"The Deathstick? Are you sure? It's been lost for centuries."

"Or so we all believed. The most powerful wand ever made is in the Dark Lord's possession. The Order will need to be vigilant. The end could come at any moment now and when the Dark Lord comes he will have the full forces of the American and Eastern European Death Eaters behind him. He will likely want to make his final victory at Hogwarts but that will depend on Potter."

Lupin stared at him a long moment. "Thank you." Severus gave him a short nod and turned to go. "She's been in Romania since the end of the summer, but Tonks heard from her at Christmas. She was safe, Severus."

Severus looked back, black eyes meeting amber, and an understanding passed between the two men. Severus nodded again and with a swirl of his black cloak disappeared back into the shadows.

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

The mist moved in thick swirls through the darkened corridor. The gleaming Dark Mark shimmered above the house, leaving an eerie glow as Severus made his way down the hall. He had made this journey a thousand times over the years, each time wishing that the result would be different. He would reach the end of the hall and there would be Lily's body still and broken, crumpled in a heap on the floor. He would kneel down and clutch her to his chest, willing with every ounce of magical ability that he could take her place. But in the end she always remained still and lifeless in his arms, brilliant green eyes dull and unseeing. And then he would wake up, sometimes screaming, sometimes face wet with tears, chest heaving and heart pounding in his ears until his head ached.

"Severus."

The voice called his name softly from the other end of the hall and he spun around to see who had spoken. He had never ventured down this end of the hall, not in reality and never in his dream. As he neared the end of the hall he caught sight of a flash of red hair. He quickened his pace.

"Lily?" he answered. Severus rounded the corner, and caught a glimpse of a long shadow in the dim green glow of the Dark Mark. He was almost running now and still she eluded him.

"Severus." The voice was soft and musical like Lily's, before all of their conversations had become strained and angry, before he had ruined everything.

This time Severus was certain it was Lily. As he came around the corner the red hair disappeared behind a door and Severus had to draw up short to stop from slamming into it. He could see light under the door and shadows moved back and forth.

"Lily! Lily, I'm so sorry! Please let me in!" he cried. He pulled hard on the knob, but the door would not budge. He had to get the door open. If Lily was still alive then the Dark Lord had not come yet, he could still save her. He could find a way to get her and her family to safety. "Lily, please! Please open the door!" He tried several unlocking spells to no avail and returned to twisting and pulling at the knob until his strong hands ached.

"Severus." This time the voice was different, younger and coming from right behind him. He spun around too shocked to register what he was seeing. "Severus, you have to decide what you want to see on the other side of that door before it will open." This was _not_ Lily.

The young girl standing in front of him looked to be around ten years old; another year and she could be his student. The girl's ebony hair hung in ringlets down her back, her face a pale shade of porcelain though her cheeks had the rosy look of a child who laughed often. Her eyes were a brilliant deep blue.

"Who are you?" Severus asked in bewilderment. There was something familiar about the girl in the pink flowing dress but it would not come to him. Not that it mattered, why would the child be in his dream?

"There's no time Severus, he has the wand. The important question is what do you want to find on the other side of that door?" The girl stepped closer to him and reached for his hand. He had never so much as patted a student on the back, but his hand seemed to move on its own and held the girl's small hand. She led him up to the door. "Is it the past you want, Severus, or the future?"

"I- I don't -" The thought of opening the door and seeing Lily alive was tantalizing. He had tried so hard to repent for what he had done, and it would never be enough. Hearing her say she forgave him, having her absolution would mean everything. But would it? The girl had said the alternative was the future. He seriously doubted he had a future.

The girl looked up at him, and he followed her gaze back to the doorknob. With his other hand he reached out. This time the knob turned easily. He pushed the door open and suddenly he was outdoors, standing in a clearing surrounded by tall trees. The smell of pine and thick underbrush filled his senses. The girl and the door had suddenly vanished. A thunderous rumble shook the ground and he turned to see a paddock that held three large dragons, smoke pluming from flared nostrils. It was then that he caught sight of movement from the opposite side of the clearing. His heart stopped for an instant, then it was racing back to life with a great jolt.

Maya. Maya was running towards him at full speed, arms pumping, legs a blur. With the battle cry of a mighty warrior, she leapt into the air, transforming the moment her feet left the ground. Enormous blue dragon wings beat furiously, attempting to get enough lift to take off. The great leathery wings beat once, twice, and then she was falling, colliding with the force of an earthquake into the ground, skidding across the clearing, snout plowing up a trench three feet wide as she went. Severus ran to where she had landed, but she could not see him. Severus sighed. Of course she couldn't see him; this was a dream. ' _Isn't it?'_

"Come on, Ladon!" A voice shouted from behind him. Severus whirled around to see Charlie Weasley jogging up behind him. "You gotta get that arse in the air! In a fight you might not have enough room to get a dragon's running start."

Maya was pulling herself up to her feet, human once again but looking every bit as though someone had dragged her across the ground. She was covered in bruises, scrapes and dirt. Severus felt the sudden urge to give Weasley a good hex.

"It's not like it ever occurred to me to learn how to fight as a dragon," Maya said in irritation, pulling vegetation out of her long hair.

"Let's try it again. If you can get this down it could give you a much needed advantage, especially if you can call the herd to you." Charlie reached out a hand to Maya, helping her climb out of the deep gully that her dragon had carved in the earth as it fell. The moment Weasley's hand touched hers, Severus's stomach turned to ice and his blood began to boil. He had tried not to think about the fact that Maya was spending all of her time in Romania with Weasley. The thought of him being near her, touching her, every day made Severus want to feed the young man to one of his own dragons.

"Alright, alright." Maya slowly made her way back to her starting point. After a few deep breaths, she cracked her knuckles and stretched her neck. She took her position, like a sprinter at the startling line, and then she was off, running as fast and as hard as she could. The cry she let out as she leapt into the air was ear splitting and then it was the roar of the blue dragon. Hurricane force winds gusted into Severus as she beat her wings, once, twice, then a third time- and then she was off and in the air.

"Yes!" Severus and Charlie shouted at the same time. Severus turned and frowned at the young wizard that could not see him.

The blue dragon circled the paddock twice and then took off over the trees, gliding over their tops and into the sun. Minutes later she appeared again and glided gently into the clearing, landing with a thump. She stretched out her long neck, letting out a broiling stream of fire fifty feet into the air. The large Norwegian Ridgeback in the paddock roared in answer, causing the ground to shake.

As soon as she was human again Charlie was jogging to her. He pulled her in a tight embrace and spun her around. "I knew it! I knew you could do it!" Maya laughed and returned his embrace.

"It's time to go, Severus." The young girl was by his side again.

"I don't want to go back yet." Severus said petulantly.

"It's time. It will be breakfast soon and it looks like you made your choice." The girl smiled up at him reaching for his hand. Again his hand reached out to take hers.

The door appeared before them and Severus looked over to her small, delicate face questioningly. "You can do it, Severus. You have everything you need now." The girl put a small hand to the door and it swung open, golden light pouring through.

Severus closed his eyes to the blinding light as he stepped through. When he opened them he was in his own bed. He blinked his eyes, trying to wrap his mind around the dream. In almost seventeen years the dream had not changed, walking down the corridor, finding Lily's body, cradling her cold form to his chest. Today Lily had not come to him. Maya had, and he had a feeling that what he saw was not a dream. Was the young girl right? Had he made his choice? Had he already let Lily go?

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Charlie Weasley spun Maya once and set her back on her feet. Behind them the three dragons roared and plumed smoke from their nostrils. "Come on then, let's get some ice on that leg and heal up those scratches."

"Maya, that was amazing!" Claire had been watching Maya's repeated attempts to get in the air from the doorway of the hut. She ran to the center of the clearing, hugging Maya and giving Charlie a shy smile. "Are you two ready for some lunch? I have some stew made up."

"Stew sounds lovely, Claire." The three began walking back towards the office hut. "While we eat I'd like to talk more about our transportation problem. I've had an idea that I want to run by you both that just might be crazy enough to work."

Charlie and Claire shared a look, eyebrows raised. "Sure," he said. "But lunch first, then we talk."

"Did I ever tell you how much you are like your youngest brother? Always thinking about food!" Maya laughed.

"Not always," he said, glancing at Claire. "Who do you think he takes after?" They entered the small hut, it's walls covered in charts of various dragon species and anatomical diagrams. Claire brought over a pot from the kitchen and filled three bowls with stew.

"Claire, this smells delicious. Iain and Sorina won't eat anything I cook anymore. They said since you've been here they remembered what real food is supposed to taste like," Charlie half joked.

"Thank you, Charlie. It was nothing really."

"You know they want you to take over the cooking full time, but I assured them you weren't here to cook for them, eventually you'd be going back."

"Oh no! I don't mind. I love to cook and I'd be happy to help out. After all you've been so kind to let me stay. I was actually thinking, it was a shame there wasn't more I could do to be helpful, because I'd like to stay on a bit."

"We're always looking for someone who can manage and organize the office? We're great with dragons but rubbish with paperwork." Charlie wrinkled his face sheepishly.

"I ran a bookstore, I don't see why I couldn't manage this small office." Claire beamed. "And I would still be willing to do the cooking!"

Maya wasn't sure the two remembered she was still there and quietly cleared her throat. After finding Claire in Boston, still so frightened and shy, Maya was glad to see her friend happy again.

Claire looked over at her friend and blushed crimson. "Maya, didn't you have something you wanted to talk about?"

"Right! So all along we've had the problem of how to get the dragons into England without tipping off the Death Eaters," she began.

"Yes, to fly them in, the herd would be too conspicuous. We would have to have an incredibly powerful disillusionment charm or fly them in one at a time, which would still be risky," Charlie said.

Maya looked at Claire. "Connell and the Donahue gang gave me an idea. What if we smuggle the dragons in by muggle rail car?"

"Maya, are you mad?" Claire's face had gone ghostly pale.

"How would that even be possible?" Charlie gaped.

"It's how the wizarding gangs and smugglers get black-market items past the ministry in America. The Death Eaters will be focused on the more traditional routes, apparition points, brooms, etc. They won't be expecting this. I spent a lot of time studying the grounds last year. Did you know that the forbidden forest is over fifty acres? Since most aren't brave enough to go more than a kilometer or two in, they don't realize that the forest is actually a natural boundary between Hogwarts and a muggle village. The villagers who have been told for centuries that the forest is haunted also never venture much more than a few kilometers in. That village has a working railroad that still brings supplies and passengers up from the lowlands. With the right cover story, lots of planning and a little luck, we could get at least three or four dragons by railcar out of Romania, through Hungary, Austria, and Switzerland, to France. We can pick up the Channel Tunnel in France and take it into Kent, from there due north to Scotland." Maya sat back, eyeing Charlie and Claire, holding her breath as she waited for their reaction.

Charlie let out a slow whistling breath, "Maya that's a tall order. And four? One of them has to be Norbert, you have the best communication with him. It'll be beastly getting him into a freight car. I don't know – How do we get past all of those customs checkpoints?"

"Not to mention the danger, Maya, for you and the dragons. What if you're discovered by the muggles or worse yet the Death Eaters?"

"My thought was, illusion is easier than transfiguration, yes?" Charlie and Claire both nodded. "So, it will take four of us, each stationed with a dragon. Leave Norbert to me, Charlie. We make a cover story that we are transporting some very large, aggressive animals for a zoo or circus perhaps. If customs wants to inspect the animals, the trainer will show them what they want to see, rhinos, elephants, what have you. I will go ahead to make arrangements and to make sure we have help when we reach the muggle village. We will need to get them off the cars and into the forest as quickly as possible to keep them hidden from You Know Who."

"It will take at least a week, by muggle train," Charlie added, scratching his head. "If it's even possible."

"With a few confundus and obliviate spells if we run into a tight spot, I think we can pull it off."

"I'm in!" said Claire.

Charlie looked at her worriedly. "It goes without saying that I'm in. I had always planned to go, my whole family will be in this fight. But I'd feel safer with at least two other experienced trainers."

"What about Iain and Sorina?" Maya asked.

"They'd be good in a fight."

"That settles it. I'll start work on the details. Claire can you give me a hand?" Maya's hand went to the pocket of her jeans and felt the letter still there. She had received Tonks' note the night before. The Mediwitch's last report was that the baby would be coming any day now. Her letter had ended with, " _You might want to get your arse back here so you don't miss your Godson's birth!"_ Maya would be making her preparations quickly. She wanted to be back in England within forty-eight hours. There was no way she would be missing this moment!


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: This Feels Like Falling In Love***

* Kiss Me, (2011). + [Plus], Ed Sheeran, Julie Frost, & Justin Franks.

Tonks slowly took in a deep breath through her nose, counted to four and blew it out slowly through her mouth. The contractions were still manageable, and although she had been doubtful at first, breathing through them really did seem to help. Her mother and the Mediwitch had both suggested that walking would take her mind off the contractions and speed things along. Remus held her hand as they walked the well-worn route from the bedroom, through the sitting room and kitchen and out into the back garden.

The garden helped to calm her nerves. Tonks had never been much into gardening but she had come to love the space with its ever-changing canvas of colors. The daffodils, irises and aconite had sprouted a month before, announcing the arrival of spring. Remus had filled a vase with blooms and placed them on the dresser in the bedroom for the days when the Mediwitch suggested it was best she stay in bed and off her feet.

She felt the familiar tightening across her belly and in her back and squeezed Remus' hand a little tighter as she took another slow breath in, held it and blew it out.

"They're getting closer together I think," Remus said soothingly, placing a gentle hand at her back, somehow knowing exactly where it ached and rubbing to relieve some of the pain. She knew he was as nervous and excited as she was but his eyes and voice were calm and steady for her. That was one of the things she loved about Remus. His calm was her grounding force.

"If she doesn't get here soon she'll miss the baby's coming," Tonks said when she had released her breath.

"I'm sure she'll make it Dora, Maya would never miss the baby's birth. She'll be here, just try to relax," Remus reassured her.

"Easy for you to say," Tonks grimaced at the start of another contraction. They were getting stronger, more painful.

Andromeda Tonks appeared in the doorway. "Why don't you both come have a cup of tea?" she called to them. Tonks nodded and Remus helped her back towards the house.

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A burst of light erupted in the back garden of Wolf's Lodge. Maya's dust covered boots stepped lightly onto the ground, the Weird Sisters badge that Tonks had given her as an emergency Portkey clasped tightly in her hand. The scent of flowers in full bloom flooded her senses and she smiled. The Lupins had managed to turn Wolf's Lodge into a real home, even in the darkest of times. Maya sent her patronus ahead with the password. She knocked on the back door and hoped she hadn't missed it.

"Maya, you made it!" Remus said excitedly as he opened the door.

"How is she? Did I miss-?"

"She's doing great, I think you're just in time," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "Come on. Andromeda and the Mediwitch are with her now."

Maya followed Remus to the back bedroom. Tonks, hair as vibrantly pink as ever, was propped up in bed, the Mediwitch bent low over her swollen belly, performing a diagnostic spell. Her mother sat in a chair holding her hand, quietly giving her daughter encouragement. Andromeda looked strong and well, you had to look very hard to see the sadness at her eyes. The news that Ted Tonks had been killed a month ago had reached Maya even in Romania. As a muggle-born he had fled to try and protect his family from attack.

"Won't be long now," the Mediwitch said.

"Maya!" Tonks said excitedly. "I was beginning to think the baby would get here before you did."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world!" Maya came to stand next to Tonks' bed and held her hand.

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The baby, who made his entrance into the world with remarkably little difficulty, slept peacefully in his mother's arms, his father's arms wrapped protectively around them both. Maya excused herself quietly, leaving the two parents to absorb the momentous event in private. She helped Andromeda make tea and sandwiches, and then went to the garden to get a bit of air. She was very happy for Tonks and Remus. Little Teddy was a beautiful baby and she already felt herself becoming a doting auntie.

While she had been in Romania her work had allowed her to lock away the emptiness and fear deep within her. Being back in England, Maya's thoughts returned to Hogwarts and its headmaster. She was certain their bond would have told her if any serious harm had come to him. She would have felt it. For both of their sakes, she had not contacted him since their parting in July. She'd heard precious little news since then.

"I'm heading over to the Burrow to let the rest of the Order know the good news." Remus' voice came from behind her.

"Andromeda and I will take care of her. I'll try to get her to rest a bit. Congratulations, Remus."

"Thank you, for everything. I heard word that Harry is staying at Shell Cottage with Bill and Flur. Tonks and I are going to ask him to be Godfather."

"Harry is a good choice," Maya said.

"Teddy is lucky to have you and Harry looking out for him. I like to think that Sirius and James would be happy about the way things worked out."

"Of course they are," she said and gave his arm a squeeze.

"I'm off then," he said, his joy and excitement making it impossible to be sad. He walked to the edge of the wards and vanished with a pop.

The sun was just below the horizon, sending the sky into streaks of blues, pinks and purples. It would be sunrise soon. Maya breathed in the fresh spring air and soaked in the beauty painted across the sky. She made her way back into the house to check on Tonks and Andromeda.

"Your mum was knackered, she went to lay down for a bit," Maya said coming in with two mugs of tea.

"Good, it's been really hard on her the last few weeks. She's been trying to busy her mind with Teddy here but still, I can see it." Tonks paused, wiping at her eyes quickly with the back of a hand.

Maya knew that nothing she could say would help so she sat on the edge of the bed and gave Tonks' hand a squeeze, their tea forgotten on the bedside table. "He's beautiful."

"He is beautiful, isn't he?"

"He's fabulous. You know, I think he looks like Remus in the eyes and his smile, and just there in the chin."

"Except he has my dad's nose," Tonks smiled and wrinkled her nose at the sleeping baby.

Maya blinked. "Tonks? Did his eyebrows just change color?"

"They did! Looks like he's going to take after me. While you were outside the Mediwitch did some quick tests. There's no sign of the werewolf mutation but he changed his eye color three times while she was trying to examine him, so he's definitely a metamorphmagus. Who knows when we'll be able to find out his real eye color?"

"That should be one less worry for Remus then?"

"Yes, now there's just all the normal stuff to worry about." Tonks laughed. "He's going to be a great dad though, I just know it." She placed a light kiss on Teddy's downy newborn head. "You though, I ought to jinx you. I thought you were going to miss his birth all together!"

"Even dragons couldn't have kept me away, Tonks," Maya smiled. "So what's been going on here? Fill me in on everything I've missed."

"Most of it I'm guessing you know already. The Ministry is worse than we ever expected it could get. It was a good thing I got out when I did, or they probably would have taken my wand and thrown me in the nick instead of just giving me the sack. Witches and wizards are being hauled in for questioning for all sorts of trumped up reasons. And then there's the Taboo curse on anyone who says You-Know-Who's name. The snatchers show up in minutes. People are being snatched right out of their gardens. That's why those who have been labeled 'undesirable' like my dad are going on the run or into hiding."

"Snatchers?"

"Mostly petty criminals and the like. You-Know-Who put Greyback in charge of them but they're not very organized. They get paid to round up undesirables and turn them into the Ministry. Anyone connected with Harry or the Order is at the top of their list."

"Merlin!"

"Remus found Harry, Ron, and Hermione hiding out at Grimmauld Place back in August but then they broke into the Ministry and vanished. Remus was sure they stole something from Umbridge but no one knows what it was and the Ministry was quick to keep the whole break in hush-hush."

"Charlie told me about the break in, he got a letter from Molly but there weren't any real details in it," Maya said.

"Then Ron showed up at the Burrow before Christmas but he was sullen and didn't speak to anyone really except Ginny. Molly was terrified he had been cursed or worse while he had been away and then he disappeared again on Boxing Day saying he had to try to find Harry and Hermione. There hadn't been any sign or word from any of them until they showed up at Shell Cottage, Bill and Flur's safehouse, with a Hogwarts house elf, Olivander, a Gringotts Goblin, and Luna Lovegood. Olivander, the Goblin and Luna had been held prisoner for months at Malfoy Manor by my dear uncle Lucius and auntie Bella. Olivander said that he had been there since last year when he went missing. Bill says they're working on some kind of plan with the Goblin but are being pretty secretive about it."

The silence stretched as the full force of the darkness that had taken over the country sunk in. Maya looked down and pulled at the hem of her shirt. "Any news from Hogwarts?"

"Just the bit we've heard from students, which is conflicting at best. Hogwarts isn't a safe place right now. Several Death Eaters have been put on staff as teachers and punishments are often brutal and horrible. Neville Longbottom was punished almost to unconsciousness at one point according to Ginny, but it doesn't seem like Snape's behind it. According to Ginny, Snape seems to step in before things can go too far. In fact, she said back in the fall, her and a couple of other Gryffindors tried to steal Gryffindor's sword out of Snape's office but were caught. Snape ordered them to help Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest as their punishment. It certainly doesn't fit with him being a murderer."

They froze at the sound of someone coming through the back door. Maya's hand went to her wand.

"Don't be alarmed. It's just me," came Remus's voice and both women relaxed.

"I told you before I left last summer about the vow Severus was forced to take, even Harry tried to tell them. Severus isn't guilty. You know it Tonks, even if the rest of the fools in the Order won't believe the truth. He was acting on Dumbledore's orders. How many times over the last year could he have killed someone and instead managed to give them a non-life threatening injury?" Maya argued.

"Remus and I believe you, Maya, but there's no proof. He hasn't tried to contact anyone since that night," Tonks said.

"That's not true. He contacted me after your wedding. Who else would he trust, Tonks? I can't turn my back on him."

"Severus did contact someone else," Remus said heavily from the doorway. "Me."

Remus had not told either of the women about his conversation with Severus the day of Dumbledore's funeral. On the surface he told himself that he had kept his silence out of fear that Tonks would chastise him for letting a murderer escape. In reality, Remus had recognized the regret and concern in Snape's voice that night as the same worry and fear he had felt for Tonks' safety. Remus had been willing to leave Tonks forever to protect her from the dangers of a relationship with a werewolf. It was obvious that Snape loved Maya very much, even if the wizard refused to admit it.

"What do you mean?" Tonks asked shrewdly, narrowing her eyes at her husband. "Remus John Lupin, out with it! What do you know that you're not telling?" Maya grinned. Motherhood would suit Tonks just fine.

"Before the funeral, while you were getting ready. Minerva had asked me to check and make sure there were added wards to Severus's office should he attempt to return. It turns out she had good instincts because when I entered his chambers, there he was just sitting on the bed as if he had all the time in the world."

"And you just let him sit there," Tonks said, dumbfounded.

"I saw you that day Remus, you didn't say anything about seeing him?" said Maya.

"I did not just sit there, Dora. I was angry and threatened to turn him in. Remember, Dumbledore had just died a few days before, we were all in shock." Lupin looked apologetically from Tonks to Maya. "It didn't take much to realize that something was tormenting the man. He certainly didn't look like someone who had just murdered a wounded man for the sheer joy of it. If he were a Death Eater would he have a wave of conscience? I thought not. In fact, his only concerns were for Maya," he said with a sad smile. "He asked after your safety and made me promise that I would try to keep you out of trouble. No, I'd say that whatever we don't know about Severus' allegiances, one thing is for certain, he loves you very much, Maya." Silence filled the small room leaving only the sound of the new babe nursing his first meal.

"What else? There's more I can tell." Tonks shifted the newborn against her chest, gently patting him on the back as if she had been doing it her whole life.

This time Remus looked guiltily back at his wife. "He came here, about a month ago now."

"Severus Snape came here and you never told me?" Tonks hissed. Remus winced. He was sure that if his wife had not had their newborn son in her arms she would have been reaching for her wand.

"Your father's body had just been found. You were so upset. I didn't want to add to it, Nym," Lupin said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"What did he want, Remus? Was he okay? It must have been very important if he risked coming to an Order safehouse alone," Maya pressed him eagerly.

"From what I could tell he looked unharmed. He came to give me a warning, a piece of information. You-know-Who had visited the school. He has the Elder Wand and thinks it will help him defeat Harry."

"What? But it's just a legend?" Tonks gasped.

"Dumbledore," Maya muttered. "It makes sense. As a young man Dumbledore defeated Grindlewald, one of the most dangerous dark wizards of all time. That terrible biography that Rita Skeeter published over the summer hinted that Dumbledore and Grindlewald were childhood friends and were obsessed with power. Dumbledore is the only wizard the Dark Lord ever feared - he had the Elder wand."

"Yes, that's my guess as well. I tried to warn Harry tonight but he already knew. I think he's been having his visions again, seeing bits of You-Know-Who's thoughts and emotions." Remus looked worried. "Harry said something when I saw him tonight. He told me a rather interesting story about finding a doe patronus in the wood where he and Hermione were hiding. He said the doe led him to Gryffindor's sword, just sitting at the bottom of a frozen pool in the middle of the forest. Even more interesting was the fact that while they were at Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix became terrified almost to hysteria when she saw that they had it. She was under the impression that the sword was in her vault at Gringotts. The story reminded me of something I had forgotten ages ago. Lily's patronus was a doe, a match to James' stag." The words hung heavy in the air.

Maya looked at Remus for a long time and then at Tonks holding baby Teddy protectively against her. Remus believed Severus had left the sword for Harry to find and somehow he had cast the doe to lead the boy to its location. "I have to go." Maya stood abruptly.

"Maya wait!" Tonks said and Maya paused, hand on the doorknob. "Where are you going?"

"I have to see him."

"At Hogwarts? Don't be daft, it's over run with Death Eaters!"

"Don't worry I know how to get in unnoticed. Besides, I know Severus won't have warded me out. He'll have left me a back door."

"Be careful, Maya," Remus said gravely.

"I promise I'll be back as soon as I can."

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Maya snuck silently through the deserted passage, invisibility cloak pulled tightly around her, face disguised with her trademark concealment charm as she made her way through the hidden entrance into Severus' dungeon office. The grounds were empty, the spring morning uncharacteristically cold and dreary. Smoke from Hagrid's hut was the only sign of life outside the castle. While Dumbledore lived, Hogwarts had been alive with the laughter and energy of the children and teachers within, now its walls and gates towered threateningly above her and the castle's history as a fortress was undeniable. A wave of melancholy and heavy mist warned a large number of dementors had taken up residence in the areas surrounding the school only adding to the sense of foreboding.

The hidden entrance opened for her on the first try. Severus' quarters were empty. Maya couldn't risk the chance that the floo had been alarmed. It would be safer to take the short walk up to the headmaster's office using the invisibility cloak. The halls that had been full of laughing and joking children a year before were almost completely empty now. Maya passed only one Prefect on hall duty the entire way up to the third floor. The slightest noise echoed in the halls and she had to cast a muffliato spell to hide the sound of her boots on the stone floor. Once she was certain she was alone, she stood before the stone gargoyles that guarded the stairway.

"Black Dragon," she muttered. The stone gargoyles did not respond at first. Maya was afraid that she had been wrong about Severus leaving her a way in, but then they sprang to the side revealing the stone spiral staircase leading up to the headmaster's office. The passageway above was just as quiet as the rest of the castle. According to her watch, there was twenty minutes until the next change of classes. Maya reached the top of the stairs and listened for the sound of voices. She placed an ear to the door and heard nothing. The doorknob turned easily in her hand and she pushed it open just enough to slip through. As the door shut softly behind her, Maya pulled the invisibility cloak from her head.

Severus looked up, startled at the sound of the office door opening. The biting comment he had for the intruder died on his lips as a woman appeared out of thin air. His dark eyes moved over the woman in front of him, taking in the tawny blond hair that hung in soft curls to her shoulders while blue-green eyes the color of sea glass stared back at him. It was the face of a barmaid he had seen once before. Could it be?

He had no memory of getting to his feet but they were moving as if by instinct. He crossed the room to tower over her and grabbed her roughly by the arms, pushing her hard against the door. Then he was crushing his lips to hers. Drinking her in as if he were a man dying of thirst.

"I had to see you for myself," she whispered between kisses.

His hands skimmed every inch of her body, inspecting the site of every injury she had endured since their last meeting. "You will drive me insane! I have felt every hex, every curse, every dragon's bite. Why do you provoke them? Especially Bellatrix?"

"I will kill her for the trouble she's caused and I want her to see me coming!" Her hands were on his face and in his hair; the irrational fear that he would disappear if she didn't tether him to her would not go away.

"You are the most troublesome witch," he murmured placing his lips to her neck. Her nails scratched lightly over his scalp and his blood turned to fire, pooling in his stomach, his heart thundered against his chest and in his ears.

"Yes, but admit it, you like that I'm trouble," she teased, nipping lightly at his ear, hands moving to his coat buttons. He growled a response that rumbled through her chest. A chorus of coughs erupted from behind them. Maya had forgotten about the portraits in the headmaster's office. "Albus!" she squeaked, face flushed and lips red.

"Miss Ladon, it's so good to see you!" Dumbledore's portrait greeted her with a grin and a twinkle in his eyes that only a magical portrait could have.

Severus grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the fireplace. "There are too many eyes in this office. I will be in the dungeons if anything urgent arises," he shot over his shoulder before pulling her through the green flames of the floo after him.

On the other side, his arms circled her at once. All Maya could hear was the pounding of her heart. Time stopped when his lips met hers again, firm and demanding. Fire erupted in her belly at his touch and spread to her fingers and toes in warm waves. His scent of herbs and spice surrounded her. She could feel his thoughts and emotions just at the edges of her own. Before she had remembered to breathe his hands were on the cool bare skin of her back and sides, slowing to trace a new scar there.

Her own hands skimmed the hard planes of his bare chest and shoulders, reassuring her that he was solid and safe in front of her. As his lips caressed her neck, her hand came to rest over his heart; the strong steady rhythm grounded her. His hand went to her face, stroking her cheek, then lifted her chin to meet her eyes. The intensity in his black eyes took her breath away and for the first time she had the feeling he was allowing her to see every part of him, unguarded.

"I didn't think I would have the chance to see you before the end," he started.

"I'm here now."

He ran a thumb over her bottom lip, silencing her. His intense eyes searched her face. "I -"

"Severus, don't," she stopped him, not wanting talk of the Dark Lord or the danger they were in to ruin what might be their last moments together.

"No, I need you to know."

"I know everything I need to know," she said soothingly, running a gentle finger over the crease in his brow. His expression softened but the intensity in his eyes burned brighter.

"Maya, I – I love you, Merlin help me, I love you so much I can't breathe."

"You – what?" Somehow the air had gone out of the room, she tried to speak but no sound would come, she couldn't think clearly.

"I –"

But Maya didn't need him to say it again. With one hand still anchored to his heart, the other moved up to his face, bringing him down until his forehead touched hers and their breath mingled between them. As it had since their first meeting, his closeness overwhelmed her senses, she was having difficulty deciphering where he ended and she began.

Maya gazed into his eyes, drowning in their inky depths. "Severus Snape, I love you with everything that I am," she whispered and closed the distance between them, crushing her lips to his, wanting nothing more than to show him that her words were true. His arms enveloped her, clutching her to his chest, and everything outside of the two of them disappeared. There was no war, no Dark Lord, no wizarding world depending on them.

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The fire crackled and popped in the grate, keeping the dungeon chill from the room. Maya and Severus lay, bodies entwined on the sofa in front of the fire, the old quilt that had become Maya's favorite draped over them. Severus ran his hands through her long chocolate curls, watching how the firelight made each strand shine as it slipped through his fingers. Maya curled into him, head against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heart pulling her towards sleep.

"I swear, you were made to keep me warm," she muttered.

"It's a post I'd happily fill," he said, his lips against her ear. Maya kissed his chest, eyes still closed and he pulled her more tightly against him, the feel of her soft skin calming his thoughts and easing the tension in his muscles. "You deserve so much more than me."

"How can you say that when we fit together so perfectly," she teased, shifting her hips against him.

"Maya, make no mistake. I will love you with my last breath, but I cannot offer you a normal life. Chances are I will not make it out of this war alive." He lifted her chin with a finger, forcing her to meet his eyes. "But know that if my circumstances were different - I would ask you to be my wife."

Maya stared back at him, stunned. Even before he had said the words out loud, she had not doubted his feelings for her. He had proven himself time and time again, but never had she ever believed that he would want to marry her, that he would want that life. Until this moment she had firmly believed she would never want to be married. But now that he had said the words, now that they were hanging in the air between them, she could see the truth. She could see their life together unfolding in front of her.

Doubt clouded Severus' eyes. "I would not ask you to take on that burden now."

Maya put a hand to his face. "None of us are guaranteed to make it through this war alive. Remus and Tonks, Bill and Flur, even Claire and Charlie, we have to take our happiness where we can find it. I'm not afraid Severus, I would marry you tonight."

"Maya you cannot mean that -"

"I do."

"But -"

"No, buts. My path is with you, it has been for a long time now."

"Then you must have this." With a wave of his hand a small painting swung away from the wall revealing a hidden alcove. A black silk box landed neatly in his open palm. He opened the box and placed it in her hand. The emerald and diamond ring was in a classic Edwardian setting of sparkling silver, the interlocking wedding band ornately decorated in the same delicate design.

"Severus…It's beautiful."

"It's goblin silver. It was my mother's and the only thing from our world my father ever bought." Severus took the ring from its place on the small velvet cushion and took her hand in his, placing a light kiss to the palm. " _Usque ad ultimum spiritum, spe ducemur, cum fide vivemus et benigne in aeternum amabimus._ Until our last dying breath, with hope we will dream, with faith we will live and with grace we will love forever." Severus slid the ring on the fourth finger of her left hand.

Maya entwined her fingers with his. " _Es, eras, eris semper amor meus in aeternum._ You are, you were, you'll always be, my love eternally." And with that the bond that was created a year before with the linking of two dark marks, was sealed with a kiss that was as old as the first witch and wizard.

As much as they both tried to ignore it, Severus could feel the outside world closing in on them. He had heard the mantle clock in his office chime and knew that their time together was almost gone. He let out a long sigh. "Dawn will be here soon."

"No. Let me pretend a little while longer," Maya said wistfully, enjoying the feel of his long fingers tracing charms patterns on her hip. "This is our honeymoon remember." She arched an eyebrow at him playfully.

"Very true madam," he said giving her lips a languid kiss, while his hand followed the curve of her hip to her thigh and back again. Her body purred in delight and she trailed a tantalizing path from his chest down his stomach and beyond. His returning excitement grew under her touch. "Two can play at this game," he whispered silkily and rolled her to her back, pinning her beneath him. His lips caressed the soft skin at her collarbone and down to the hollow between her breasts. Maya ran her hands through his hair, every nerve in her body ignited as he paid careful attention to the sensitive skin of her stomach.

"Eh-hem – Headmaster?" The voice came from Severus' office.

"Severus? Did you hear something?"

"Ignore it," he mumbled, lips caressing her skin.

"Eh-hem!" The voice repeated loudly.

"Sev – there's someone in your office." Maya tried to sit up but he stubbornly held her in place and she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her.

"Shush!" He placed an enticing kiss on her hip bone.

"Severus Snape did you just shush me?" She swatted playfully at his shoulder.

"Headmaster, you are needed upstairs. The Carrows are in rare form this morning. Two students have been sent to the Hospital Wing already." The voice sneered in annoyance. Maya guessed it came from the portrait of Phineas Nigelus.

Severus let out a defeated sigh and rested his forehead on her chest, placing a gentle kiss over her heart. The mantle clock chimed six. The magical cocoon they had woven for themselves deflated and the weight of the world outside fell heavily upon them.

"I have to go. Amycus and his sister Alecto are ruthless with the students if I'm not there to intervene. I don't suppose you'll be here when I get back?"

Maya kissed his brow. "No, I have Order business with Hagrid if I can catch him between classes, then I need to head back to the dragon colony."

He sat up, pulling her with him. "Well, that shouldn't be too difficult. He's not teaching. I was lucky to be able to keep him on as Gamekeeper."

Maya stood, wrapping herself in the quilt and gathered the heap of forgotten clothes in front of the fireplace, dropping his things on an armchair. She twisted her hair into a knot and skewered it with her wand.

"I'll have Dugal bring you a tray," he said as he slid on a dressing gown. "Stay, eat a decent meal and soak in the bath. No one but Dugal would dare to come in here."

She opened her mouth to refuse but he had already disappeared into the bedroom. "I really should be going before there are too many students and teachers milling about," she called after him. She slipped on the white shirt he had left on the floor the night before while she pulled clean clothes from her rucksack. Dugal appeared at her elbow seconds later, placing a tray laden with an aromatic tea pot and several croissants with jam on a small end table next to the armchair. Severus had obviously decided to ignore her. She smiled at the ancient house elf.

"Thank you, Dugal. That was very kind of you." The elf bowed so low Maya was certain his long nose touched the floor and then he vanished as silently as he had appeared.

Severus finished dressing and walked back into his sitting room to the alluring sight of Maya standing there pouring a cup of tea, wearing yet another of his white shirts, and nothing else. "If you keep that up I won't have any shirts left."

Mouth full of croissant, Maya turned and wrinkled her nose at him. He gave her a crooked smile wondering if she realized she had strawberry jam on her lip. The small imperfection somehow made her look even more inviting.

Maya smiled at him in earnest this time, feeling silly when she caught herself biting her bottom lip. She couldn't help it. It was the look that he only gave her in private, when he didn't have to worry about schooling his features or keeping his occlumency shields up. His words from the day before came back to her. He had told her he loved her. After almost two years of saying that it was impossible to love anyone again, he had said the words. And then he had shocked her speechless by asking her to marry him. At the thought of it, a fire erupted in her belly.

She froze. Love. Love is the best binding agent there is – they had been Claire's words. ' _Could it really be that simple?'_

Maya walked to where he stood, fully dressed and ready for his day. His arms circled her hips drawing her against him. The molten pool in her stomach spread throughout her body and the mark on her hip tingled at his touch. And she knew. That was the answer.

She held his face in her hands, pulling him down so she could meet his lips with hers. As she kissed him, she pulled the wand from her hair letting it tumble down her back. His hands moved up to cradle her neck as he deepened the kiss. She focused on the feel of his lips against hers, the wand clutched her hand transformed into the silver dagger. She drew it quickly across her palm drawing a crimson river of blood that ran from her closed fist. While he was still captivated by the dizzying power of their kiss, Maya grabbed his hand and drew the cold silver over his palm.

He hissed in pain trying to pull his hand away, confusion written across his face. "What are you doing? Are you mad?"

She entwined her fingers with his and grasped his hand, their magical blood tingling as it joined. "Kiss me," she said simply.

"What?"

"Trust me," she said softly and he could not refuse her. He sought out her soft lips already bruised from kissing, caressing them gently with his own. A glass vial appeared beneath their joined hands catching the stream of warm crimson liquid.

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After a few minutes of persuasion, Maya conceded to spending an hour soaking in the luxurious tub in Severus' chambers. She had even found a bottle of her lavender shampoo forgotten at the back of a shelf. When she walked out onto the grounds an hour later she was grateful for the extra time in the steamy water. A thick blanket of fog and mist covered the countryside for miles despite the fact that May was only a few weeks away. The invisibility cloak insulated her from the cold but nothing could thaw the bleak dreariness that seeped into every living thing near the school. Slowly, Hagrid's hut came into view. Maya knocked on the gigantic wooden door and Fang's barks erupted from the other side.

"Al'right, al'right I heard it, Fang. Go on then, hush," came Hagrid's booming voice. The door opened just enough for him to see his front step. "Who's there?" The tip of his pink umbrella containing the pieces of his broken wand poked out from behind the edge of the door.

"It's me Hagrid. Can I come in?"

"Maya?" Hagrid stepped back so she could squeeze past him.

"Yes, it's me." When the door was shut tightly behind her, she drew off the invisibility cloak revealing her tawny blond hair and blue-green eyes.

"You're as bad as Tonks, you are. I never know what y'ere gonna look like from one moment to the next."

She laughed dryly. "I figure its best not to use the same disguise too many times in a row these days."

"What brings you back here, with everything – with him being here?" Hagrid asked jerking his head towards the castle, unable to meet her eyes, embarrassed. Maya's expression darkened. "Oh – now that is interesting." Hagrid was looking at the ring on her left hand with a thoughtful expression. "That would explain quite a few things this year."

"Hagrid, never mind that, we have Order business to discuss," she said shortly.

"Right. Can I get you a cuppa tea or some mead?"

"Tea would be lovely." Maya sat in one of chairs that surrounded Hagrid's table. A set of beady black eyes belonging to a creature that resembled a salamander with brilliant blue and red feathers stared at her from a pile of old blankets and rags in a corner near the fire. Maya didn't see the field mouse hiding near the fire grate until the feathered creature's scaled tongue shot out like lightning, snaring the mouse and belching in satisfaction. She tried to bring her attention back to the conversation as Hagrid put a tankard size mug of tea in front of her.

"So, what's the news?"

"Charlie Weasley tells me you have some experience with dragons?"

"Dragons? My word!"

"Charlie and I will be smuggling in four dragons by way of the muggle village on the other side of the forest. Can you help make things ready for us and meet us at the muggle train station? Someone with your knowledge of the forest would be valuable. We'll also need a paddock area to be able to house the dragons, something far enough into the forest that they'll be hidden both from muggles and Death Eaters. Charlie and I will keep the dragons there until Remus gives us the signal."

"The end is coming. You can feel it; the mist and the rain never stop now. He was here you know, You-Know-Who. Took something from Dumbledore's tomb. I get the feeling he'll be wantin' to end things soon enough."

"And when he does we have to be ready."

"Dragons, blimey." Hagrid let out a long breath through his great bushy beard. "I can have it ready for ya', just give me two weeks. The old camp they used for the Triwizard Tournament should do nicely. No one but me and the centaurs venture that far into the forest."

"I knew I could count on you!" Maya put her hand on his oversized one and he covered it with his, giving it a gentle pat.

"You can count on me. The sooner this is over, the better it will be for all of us."

"Let's just hope this is enough."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: I See Fire***

I See Fire, (2013). The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Ed Sheeran.

The rhythmic click-clack of the railcar moving along the old wooden freight tracks was hypnotic and Maya struggled to keep her eyes open. The suffocating heat coming off of Norbert's sleeping body didn't help either. Charlie and Claire rode in the car behind them with Typhoeus. Iain and Sorina followed in the next two cars with Wynnie and Fafnir. Loading the dragons onto the train and getting them through the European checkpoints had gone more smoothly than they had ever expected. Muggles were all too willing to believe that they were ordinary zoologists transporting large beasts to the UK, and after all, the paperwork did appear to be in order.

Maya slid the car door back a few inches on its track and took a deep breath of the crisp country air. The French countryside was beautiful. Lush fields waved in the breeze, the golden sun making everything bright and alive. She closed her eyes, enjoying sun on her face. Once they returned to England chances to feel the sun would be rather thin on the ground.

The last few weeks had been a blur. From Hagrid's, Maya had returned to Wolf's Lodge to bring Remus up to speed and to spend a few precious moments with Tonks and baby Teddy. When she finally arrived at the colony's base camp, she and the others began a frenzy of packing provisions and preparing the dragons for the long trip.

Norbert shifted next to her, nudging her with his large snout. "Easy, boy." She reached in the basket next to her and pulled out two large and very dead rabbits, tossing them his way. The dragon caught them neatly and swallowed them whole. He nudged at her elbow again. "No more I'm afraid. Not if you want it to last the next two days. Once we get you in the forest you'll be able to hunt, just stay away from the centaurs." He huffed smoke at her but rested his head on the car floor, covering his snout with the tip of his tail as he drifted back to sleep.

Maya gave his tail a pat and turned back to the passing countryside. They would cross the channel tonight or early tomorrow morning; another day would put them in Scotland. In forty-eight hours they would reach the muggle village. Forty-eight hours until they had nothing to do but wait for a battle to come. Maya sighed. She was not very good at waiting.

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The train ground to a stop, and screeching brakes pierced the silent night. Maya peered out the narrow opening in the car door. The train had crossed the English Channel and arrived on English soil. Charlie was out of his car, walking towards a small building that looked like a guard post. Typhoeus' railcar shook as he stomped uneasily and Norbert tensed his powerful leg muscles behind her. "Easy. I'm going to see if Charlie needs a hand," Maya said, slipping through the open door and dropping to the ground below.

Charlie and Iain stood shoulder to shoulder near the door to Typhoeus' car. They were talking to a muggle wearing a neon vest with HM Revenue & Customs printed on the back. The young man was short and stout with a thick neck. He stood frowning at a clipboard.

"It says here, you're transporting four African Elephants to a zoological center in Scotland? Your paperwork's in order, but these animals are listed as a highly protected endangered species. I'll have to inspect each animal and car to ensure there are no violations."

"I wouldn't recommend that," Maya spoke up.

"And you are?" The man eyed her with beady eyes, far too small for his bulk.

"This is our species specialist, Dr. India Ravenhill," Charlie spoke up.

"You're a vet then, or a Zoologist?"

"Something like that," Maya answered. "These animals are part of a conservation project. They're on loan from the government of Kenya. To protect their respiratory systems, they have been minimally sedated. For safety reasons only my highly trained staff should interact with them."

"Your people can watch but I need to look in those cars. There better not be anything undocumented in there."

"Right," muttered Charlie.

"Of course, officer. One moment, let me get my people in place so you can do what you have to do safely."

"Let's get a move on then."

Maya turned her back to the Customs Officer to whisper to Charlie and Iain. "Okay, let's see if this plan is as good as we think it is. Remember, give him the illusion first but be ready to obliviate him if you have too."

"You got it," said Charlie as he and Iain walked back to their cars.

"Let's go, I don't want this to take all night!" the man barked.

"Yes, of course." Maya clutched her wand hidden in a pocket of her jeans. She rolled back the door to the railcar. "Praestigia," she whispered. The vision of a towering African Bush elephant with enormous tusks reaching almost to the floor appeared where Norbert was lying down. He opened one eye, his nostrils flaring at the unfamiliar scent. The dragon's eyes narrowed and his thick tail twitched in warning.

"Easy," Maya soothed.

The Customs officer poked his head into the car and craned his neck attempting to see into the dark corners of the car. Norbert reared his head and let out a deafening roar that echoed off the walls of the small space.

"Whoa!" The Customs officer blanched and staggered backwards several paces, almost falling as his arms pinwheeled to keep him upright.

Maya rolled the car's door closed. "I trust you've seen enough, nothing here but a cranky Bush Elephant."

The officer swallowed dryly, running a trembling hand over his close-cropped hair. "Next car, if you please," he said shakily.

"Right this way."

Charlie had managed to calm Typhoeus before Maya rolled the door to the car open. This time the officer kept his head safely on the outside. When he got to Wynnie and Fafnir, one look at the dangerously sharp tusks of their illusions and he barely peaked inside of their cars at all.

"So our paperwork is in order and you've seen that we're not carrying any contraband. Can we be on our way?" Maya asked. "I'm sure you can understand I'm eager to get these animals to their destination."

The customs officer scratched on his clipboard and checked off several boxes. He tore off the top sheet and shoved it under her nose, stalking off without a word.

She let out a long sigh. "Alright Charlie, let's get going." She climbed up into the car with Norbert. As she rolled the door closed behind her, the train lurched into motion and the customs checkpoint was soon behind them.

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What had been a constant blanket of fog and mist a week ago was now a heavy drizzle. The fog was so thick that Maya couldn't see the end of the car behind hers or the tip of the engine. Hundreds of dementors continued to collect around the school, feeding on the happiness of every living thing in the area. Maya had to admit she was grateful for the impenetrable fog. They would be able to get the dragons unloaded and into the forest without being seen by the muggles.

Hagrid waited with a single lantern at the spot where the tracks came closest to the forest's edge, about a mile past the muggle train station. Maya and the others worked together using magic to silence the sound of the train's breaks as they rolled to a stop. The ground squelched under her boots as she jumped from the train.

They unloaded the dragons and moved them single file, forming a magical circus parade, deep into the forest. Hagrid lead the way, his lantern a beacon in the dense fog and trees while Charlie and the tamers focused on guiding the dragons through the dense underbrush. The journey took two hours of slow trudging through the forest to reach the camp. It was almost dusk when they finally reached the rustic camp and the forest was as dark as night.

"Brought some deer, for 'em, didn't think they'd have much chance for hunting tonight."

"Thanks, Hagrid. They'll be grateful for it," Charlie said as he and Iain lead Fafnir, the last of the four, into the paddock Hagrid had constructed.

"I better be gettin' back, they think I'm in the forest dealing with the centaur herd."

"Thanks for everything, Hagrid," Charlie said, shaking the half-giant's enormous hand.

"Yes, we couldn't have done this without you," Maya agreed.

"Nonsense, just glad I could help."

"Be careful, Hagrid," Maya called as he disappeared into the blackness of the forest.

Maya turned towards the others. "I've set protective wards, but we should probably have someone stand watch."

"I can take first watch. Iain, you can relieve me in four hours," Charlie said, taking charge.

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The morning dawned just as dreary as the day before with the only encouragement being that the fog had cleared a little. Sorina had risen early to relieve Iain from guard duty while Claire put together a makeshift kitchen and got some hot breakfast going.

"Maya!" Charlie ran through camp, skidding to a stop at the end of the table where Claire and Maya sat looking at a very old map of the forest.

"Charlie, what is it?" Maya looked up from the map.

"Someone broke into Gringotts this morning! They just announced it over the wireless, on Potterwatch. The pinchers were disguised as - get this - Bellatrix LaStrange! Bill says they think it was Harry, Ron, and Hermione. And they broke out of the bank on the back of a dragon that was used to guard the ancient high security vaults."

"Potterwatch?" Maya asked.

"It's the underground wireless program that Fred and George started broadcasting to let people know what was going on and what the Order was doing to fight back. The dates and times change every broadcast to keep them from being found by the Death Eaters."

"It has to be Harry," Claire said thoughtfully. "It's not the Order or Bill would have known and no one else is brave enough to try something so risky as to break into Gringotts."

"Muggles and Wizards reported what looked like a dragon flying north. They could be headed this way," Charlie finished.

"If they think Harry Potter is moving this way, they're likely to start searching for him," Claire said, turning anxious eyes on Maya.

"Claire's right. We need to strengthen the wards and there should be two on watch at all times. Look lively, this could be it!"

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Remus had received Minerva's message almost fifteen minutes ago. To everyone's amazement, Harry had appeared in the middle of the Great Hall and confronted Snape about the night Dumbledore died. Minerva had attacked Snape to protect Potter and Snape had fled. But it was too late. You-Know-Who was on his way and Death Eaters were surrounding the castle grounds in staggering numbers. Remus had put out the alert for all Order members to report to the school and defend it's students. More importantly, they needed to distract the Death Eaters long enough for Harry to defeat You-Know-Who. He only hoped Harry had some idea of how to accomplish this insurmountable task.

Remus hurried through the halls, dodging fleeing students as he went. Neville Longbottom and Dumbledore's Army, the student defense group, were prepared to fight with the Order. Remus entered the Great Hall, quickly reaching the staff table that was being used as a base of operations.

"Remus, thank Merlin you're here!" Minerva said.

"I have the Weasleys and Kingsley with me, they took the members of Dumbledore's Army to set up a parameter until the others get here. The rest of the Order are on their way."

"I've activated the castle's defenses so that should hold them off for a while, but without more reinforcements – I'm not sure what else we can do?"

"Fred and George have sent out the word over Potterwatch for anyone able to fight to meet at Hogsmeade."

"Remus, I've never seen so many -"

"If he means to make this his final attack, he will have Death Eaters from America and Eastern Europe with him. This will be our largest battle yet. Hagrid, are they ready?" Remus asked the Game Keeper.

"Are who ready?" Minerva echoed, confused.

"That they are," Hagrid said, beaming. "They got here yesterday."

"Thank Merlin for that. It's time we called Hogwarts' head of security back – don't you think?" Remus fixed Minerva with a hard gaze.

"There is no – wait – Maya Ladon? I hardly think that is a wise idea," she sputtered.

"Whether you realize it or not, Maya has been working all year to protect Hogwarts when the time came. And there is no better time than now. Voldemort is at our door. Harry is here. We have to give him the best chance we can to succeed. Trust me, Minerva. We need Maya's help."

"Remus!" A bright voice cut across the loud commotion of the hall and Remus' head shot up.

"Tonks! What are you doing here?"

"My mum is with Teddy and there are so many wards on the cottage, Merlin himself couldn't get through. My place is here with you tonight!" Before Remus could protest again, she had flung her arms around his neck and kissed him hard and deep, reminding him of everything he had to fight for. When they broke apart, out of breath with hearts thundering in their chests, a look of sheer determination set on Tonks heart-shaped face, Remus couldn't send her away.

"Alright, Kingsley is setting up a parameter. Go give him a hand. And be careful!"

"I will!" With a squeeze of his hand she turned and was gone.

Remus took a fortifying breath before turning his attention back to the table. "Hagrid, when I give the word, send the signal to Maya and Charlie. They're our secret weapon. I want to wait for the exact right moment to show our hand."

"Right, you just give the word."

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Night had fallen over the Forbidden Forest and with it a suffocating silence. Even the animals had sensed the upcoming battle and fled for safety.

A branch snapped, thunderous in the stillness. "Halt!" Sorina ordered, wand raised. Iain quickly appeared at her side.

"I mean you no harm. I am friend to Hagrid and need to speak with the leader of this camp." The chestnut centaur stepped out of the woods into the ring of light from Sorina's wand.

"We have a visitor," Iain called out, bringing the others running.

"Who are you?" Maya asked cautiously, wand at the ready, eyes alert. Hagrid had always said that the centaur herd was stubbornly neutral, insisting that they would not interfere with the destiny written in the stars.

"My name is Cosmo. Several of my fellows have chosen to lend aid to Hagrid and the school. I came to warn you, your enemy also makes camp in the forest. Be watchful."

"Thank you for the information," Maya said gratefully. The centaur disappeared back into the forest, the sound of countless hoof falls following after him just beyond the light of camp.

A brilliant burst of light appeared in front of Maya and a golden hippogriff feather floated down to rest on her outstretched palm.

"That's the signal from Hagrid and Remus," Charlie said.

"Are we ready?" Maya asked.

"As we'll ever be."

"Good luck," said Sorina and Iain.

"My, be careful." Claire gave her a bone crushing hug.

"I will. I promise. Take care of yourself." Maya said, before turning towards the paddocks. "Well Norbert, let's get in the air shall we?" The towering Ridgeback roared in agreement.

Maya closed her eyes. Her skin prickled as her spine rippled and extended. She could feel fire ignite in her chest, ready to leap when she called it. When she opened her eyes and looked out with her sharp dragon's sight from a considerably higher vantage point, the rich and vibrant scents of the forest air filled her lungs.

Norbert and the other dragons slapped the ground with their tails and beat at the air with their mighty wings as they roared, steam and smoke billowing from their snouts. Maya opened her powerful jaws, joining the chorus. The five dragons leaped into the air, breaking through the tree canopy into the open night sky. Maya climbed high, far above the fog and stretched her cramped wings, the cool rain soothing to her warm scaled hide. She moved to the front of the flock and they circled the treetops before streaking towards the castle.

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Severus refused to return Minerva's attack no matter how vicious her assault. He vanished from the Great Hall in an inky swirl of smoke rather than attack the witch that had been his teacher and friend. There would have to be another way to find Potter. Severus now stood with the gathering mass of Death Eaters, watching as the protective wards around the school flickered and faltered under the assault of the Dark Lord's followers. At first the attacking spells bounced harmlessly off of the ancient wards, but as more and more Death Eaters added their wands to the attack the wards started to fail. Then the sea of Death Eaters parted and the Dark Lord himself stepped forward.

Severus recognized Dumbledore's wand in The Dark Lord's skeletal hand. He stabbed the wand up into the air and lightning erupted from its tip. The wards fractured in a brilliant blue spider web, then they were gone, the pungent smell of burning ozone choking the air. Death Eaters cheered and charged towards the unprotected gates of the school.

Order members and students returned the battle cry, rushing forward to meet their foes. Spells and curses flew in every direction. Severus tried to protect his students and Order members as best he could, firing off strategic spells to stem the flow of the Death Eater tide without drawing suspicion. The cries of injured wizards on both sides rang out in every direction. The Dark Lord, with Nagini coiled at his feet, hung back to watch from the rear, allowing his followers to forge ahead into the bloodiest part of the battle.

A curse flew past Severus in a flash of red light. He easily deflected it, subtly sending it in the direction of Rodolphus Lestrange. The Death Eater cried out and clutched his hand as it erupted in large painful blisters. Severus tried to focus on the sea of faces around him. He had no idea how he would find Potter now to tell him what he needed to know. Even if Severus could reach Potter, he didn't see how the boy could make it through the waves of Death Eaters to get to the Dark Lord. His sharp eyes searched for Potter, but they also sought out any sign of Maya. He frowned and tightened his grip on his wand until his knuckles ached. He knew she would be here somewhere in the chaos of the fighting and prayed to Merlin that her skill and luck would be enough to keep her safe.

Suddenly the ground shook violently. Severus staggered to stay on his feet. Witches and wizards froze mid-attack to search for the source of the trembling. A mighty roar echoed across the battlefield like a shockwave. Death Eaters threw their hands over their ears and turned stunned faces to the sky as the roar swelled. A dark figure blotted out the stars and moon. Students and Order members ran for the safety of the castle walls.

"Severus, find cover. NOW!" The voice rang in his head.

He looked up and saw the belly of a mighty blue dragon and he smiled. The dragon swooped out into the full light of the moon. His chest tightened with a mixture of terror and pride at the sight of her above the battlefield ready to strike. A Norwegian Ridgeback and three smaller dragons followed closely behind her.

With another powerful roar they dived and fire blazed across the field, incinerating everything in their path. Severus dove behind the shelter of a large boulder just in time. The boulder's surface quickly began to scald his hands from the intensity of the dragon's flames. The heat scorched his face and he threw up his arms to protect his eyes. Screams of those around him filled his ears. The dragons made one more pass over the grounds, cutting the Death Eaters numbers easily by half, obliterating the Dark Lord's advantage in the battle. And then the Order was coming and the heat of duels breaking out all around him quickly replaced the dragons' flames.

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Maya circled above the battlefield. After the second pass, it was too dangerous to charge again without injuring Order members and students. Maya banked and spotted Tonks with Kingsley fighting alongside a group of students. The small group was trying to take the Owlery Tower and with it the high ground. Maya dove low giving them cover. Tonks scrambled up the steep steps and into the stone tower the students following after her. From the safety of the tall narrow windows at the top they began to attack the Death Eaters down below. Fafnir howled in rage. Maya craned her long neck in his direction. Three full sized giants stood throwing boulders the size of Hagrid's hut in the direction of the Owlery.

Another boulder hurtled through the air and Maya banked just in time. Norbert roared and charged the largest of the three giants, snapping the creature in two with his powerful jaws. Typhoeus and Fafnir flew towards the other two. Fire erupted from their snouts and the remaining giants burst into flames.

Death Eaters charged from the quidditch stadium and Maya landed, swiping a half dozen of them back with a slash of her tail. Wynnie sent the remaining Death Eaters smashing into the stone wall of the Owlery. Maya spotted Norbert circling just above them, "Stay in the air, keep an eye out for those giants!" she called to him. Norbert gave her a snort of acknowledgement and took off towards the forest, the other dragons following close behind him.

In the blink of an eye she had returned to her human form. Maya fought her way through the battle to the front gates of the castle. Spells and curses exploded everywhere as duels raged in the Entrance Hall and Great Hall beyond. She fired and deflected spells as fast as she could without time to see if her spells hit their mark.

"Stupify," she cried, too late. Her shoulder exploded in agony and she gasped to catch her breath. Gritting her teeth against the ripping pain, she fired again and this time her opponent fell back immobilized.

Stone and mortar rained down as spells ricocheted off the walls. A blur of wild black hair streaked past Maya in the fray of the battle. Bellatrix raised her wand at Ginny Weasley who was in a heated battle with a large blond Death Eater. Maya lunged toward Bellatrix, blocking her view of Ginny.

Bella's eyes widened in recognition and she cackled above the deafening roar of the battle raging around them. Bellatrix tried to dash around her. Without thinking Maya brought her hand back and smashed it into Bella's jaw. The witch howled in rage and agony, unable to comprehend that someone would dare attack her without magic.

Bella's wand sliced through the air in a blur. Maya dodged out of the way of a rogue curse and her shield charm faltered. Bella's curse carved through her side close to the ribs. Warm blood bloomed on her shirt but Maya only gripped her wand tighter.

"Maya!" Her head snapped up and black eyes locked with hers from across the sea of flying spells and curses. Severus stood near the large doors leading out to the Entrance Hall. Aurors Proudfoot and Dawlish fired spell after spell at him. He blocked them easily and the Aurors didn't seem to notice he hadn't fired a single spell back at them.

"I knew it!" Bellatrix screeched and Maya brought her attention back to her own attacker. "Ahh!" Bella yowled in pain, before she could fire off another spell. Ginny Weasley's stinging hex had hit her square in the back. The Death Eater spun on Ginny. "Avada -"

Maya dove at Bella, colliding with the witch. The women stumbled, crashing into witches and wizards dueling around them.

Bellatrix grabbed a handful of Maya's hair, yanking her head back and driving her wand painfully into her neck. "Maybe a dose of the Cruciatus Curse will teach you a lesson!"

Severus saw flames flicker in Maya's eyes and her wand twirled in a blur at her hand. There was a glint of silver as the wand became the silver dagger. Maya drove the dagger deep into Bella's stomach.

"I always keep my promises," Maya whispered in Bellatrix's ear. She twisted the dagger, driving it deeper. Bella cried out, eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

Bellatrix stumbled backwards clutching at the dagger, blood seeping through her fingers. She fell against a house table, her eyes glassy and lifeless. Maya ducked as a spell streaked over her shoulder. Bella's lifeless body glowed a brilliant red then disintegrated into a shower of sparks.

"Good riddance!" Maya spun on her heels. Molly Weasley stood behind her, wand still raised and face murderous. "Try to kill my daughter, will you?" She ran and hugged Ginny.

Behind Molly, Severus deflected curse after curse. Maya met his eyes. "I'm all right." Her voice echoed in his mind.

He froze - hand going to his sleeve as the mark on his arm burned. The Dark Lord was calling. His stomach turned to ice and he tried to ignore the feeling of dread and foreboding that bloomed in his chest. He had no choice. He had to go. With a last look at Maya, Severus vanished a split second before Proudfoot and Dawlish's last spells reached him.

Maya caught sight of Tonks a few yards away battling Yaxley. "Tonks! I need to go find him. He'll need my help!" Maya called out.

"You can't go out there alone. The Death Eaters are everywhere!" Tonks said emphatically, finally subduing Yaxley. Tonks' eyes shifted to find Remus in the melee, dueling fiercely with Greyback. Maya understood the conflict on her friend's face. The need to be with her husband, warred with her desire to help her friend. Maya knew exactly how she felt.

"No, Tonks, you need to be with Remus. He needs you here," Maya said. "I'll be–"

"I'll go with you!" Claire shouted running up behind her.

"But Claire, what about Charlie?"

"He's with his family. He's where he belongs." Maya gave her old friend a grateful look.

"Go. Hurry!" Tonks urged.

"You and Remus, be safe," Maya called as she and Claire hurried towards the ruins of the castle's Entrance Hall.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Carry You Home***

* Carry You Home (2008). All the Lost Souls, James Blunt and Max Martin.

The pain in Severus's neck was excruciating. Voldemort turned to leave the filthy dust covered basement. The snake floated behind him in an absurd protective bubble. A derisive chuckle tried to escape Severus and pain like jagged glass tore through his neck and throat. He couldn't ignore the dark humor in the situation though. After years worrying that his cover would be blown, the Dark Lord had killed him because he had played his part too well. It was the Dark Lord's mistaken belief that Severus, having murdered Dumbledore, was the true master of Dumbledore's wand, which made him turn on Severus.

Severus closed his eyes, aware of the steady flow of blood pulsing from his ruined neck with each beat of his weakening heart. " _Merlin's beard just let the end come and stop the agony!"_

Severus could feel the world becoming thinner, more transparent as his vision began to blacken at the edges. Then he saw two brilliant green eyes and knew he must indeed be dead. But his vision cleared for a moment and the unruly hair as black as his own came into focus. It was Potter. His own end was near and Severus' thoughts went to Maya. He knew now that he loved her. She was the reason he could forgive himself enough to be able to share his memories with Potter and allow himself to let go. Severus knew what he must do before it was too late.

" _Take …it...Take… it,_ " he tried to gasp, only managing a gurgling sound. He didn't have much time now. He willed the memories Potter would need most to rise up and hoped with what was left of his being the boy would know what to do. Potter produced a small glass vial. Speaking drained Severus's remaining strength and he felt the black edges of his vision close in even further.

' _Not long now_ ,' he thought tiredly. It will be over soon. He had played his last card and had hopefully given Potter all he needed to finish what Albus had started. His one regret was not saying goodbye to Maya, to see her one last time with a clear conscience, but they both had known the chances of him surviving were slim indeed. "I am sorry," he thought, trying to reach out to that part of her that was always just at the edges of his mental shields.

His thoughts went to Lily. If only Severus could let her know he had done everything possible to make things right, to protect her son. " _Look…at…me_ ," he gasped with the last of his strength. The dark-haired boy bent low over Severus's face, but it was Lily's eyes that Severus saw before his vision dimmed and his breathing slowed. Darkness finally took him.

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Maya and Claire crossed the grounds of Hogwarts, now looking more like a ravaged battlefield from a muggle war movie. Maya had assumed that the Dark Lord called Severus to the camp the Death Eaters had made in the forest. Smoke swirled and hung in the air as buildings and trees still smoldered. The Death Eaters had vanished, pulling back to the cover of the Forbidden Forest, while fighters from the Order and Hogwarts were vanishing with wounded and casualties to the safety of the castle.

As they hurried, the booming voice of Voldemort himself exploded in their heads. Both women's hands flew to their ears in a futile attempt to block out the assault. The Dark Lord declared a ceasefire. He attempted to manipulate Dumbledore's followers into turning Potter over while at the same time he appealed to Potter's hero nature by urging the boy to surrender and spare the lives of his friends. And as quickly as the voice began it was gone.

Maya collapsed to her knees shivering, feeling cold and violated. When she dared open her eyes, she could see Claire on the ground beside her. The silence left the grounds and countryside surrounding the school eerie and haunted.

When Maya thought her legs would bear her weight she struggled to her feet, then helped Claire to stand. "Claire, how are we ever going to find him?" Maya hissed, near panic.

"Patience Maya. Let your bond guide you." Claire's voice was shaky but the wand in her hand was steady.

"My bond? Our bond? Of course!" How could she have forgotten? Maya quickly closed her eyes, concentrating on Severus and wanting to know his location. The dragon and serpent pendant under her shirt warmed against her skin.

" _I am sorry_."

The words were thin and weak but Maya heard them clearly. Her eyes flew open, "He's close but not on the grounds. Hogsmeade, I think? We have to hurry, he doesn't have much time."

Maya sprinted towards the path that led down to the village. Claire ran after her as fast as she could. From the corner of her eye Maya spied a mop of jet black hair. "Look, its Harry!" she gasped, holding the bleeding wound at her side. Pain stabbed in her chest and she could taste the blood from her lip, but she could not stop. She altered her course and quickened her pace in Potter's direction.

"Harry Potter?" Claire gasped.

Harry was crawling out from a small hole at the base of the Whomping Willow. He eyed her warily, chest heaving and shirt stained with blood. "Are you here for _him_ or for the Order?" he asked accusingly.

Maya approached him with desperation in her eyes. "Both, I hope. Promise me you will do everything you can to succeed, Mr. Potter," she said, her face now a breath away from the young man. The fact that he had become a man over the past year was unmistakable. He towered above her and had several days' worth of stubble on his chin. "There has been enough misery and killing, don't you think?"

Harry looked at her with uncertainty. "He…he didn't make it…Voldemort…Nagini struck too fast."

"What?" Maya demanded. "Where is he?" Panic clouded her eyes and choked her voice.

Harry winced. "He's in the Shrieking Shack. I just came from there."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter," Maya said. She moved past the boy without a second glance, Claire following close behind her. With the wards down, there was nothing to prevent Maya from apparating. When she opened her eyes they were standing in front of the shrieking shack on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Maya found a side door leading onto an old rickety sun porch. She leaped over the decrepit-looking stairs leading up to the porch.

"Bombarda," she yelled before her foot landed on the deck, blasting the front door into splinters.

She had no idea where she was going, yet something stronger than instinct guided her as she sprinted through the disintegrating house to the steps leading to a dank basement. At the far end of the room sat a small table next to a stack of crates. It held a single candle casting dim light over the dust-covered basement.

' _But where could he be_?' Maya panicked. She had hit a dead end. Perhaps she had followed the wrong trail? And then she saw it, partially obscured by the stack of crates, black boots surrounded by a pool of what looked like blood.

"Severus!" Maya sprinted to the figure partially concealed behind the crates. ' _Please don't let him be dead! There's so much blood.'_

"Maya, where are you?"

"Claire! Down here!" Maya collapsed to her knees next to his body. He was still warm but his skin was ghostly white. His eyes were glassy and she could see no movement from his chest. Massive puncture wounds had ripped through the flesh at his neck. "Nagini," she fumed. No wand could heal these wounds.

"You found him?" Claire said, hurrying down the creaking staircase.

"Merlin, I think we're too late." Maya cradled Severus's limp blood-soaked head in her lap attempting to stem the thinning blood with her hands.

"No, he's alive but just barely," Claire said, feeling the wound at Severus' neck. "The venom is strong. He needs an antidote and blood."

"Reach in my pocket, there should be two vials!" Maya was afraid to take her hands from his neck. "If there is life in him it may still work," she said, a glimmer of hope in her voice.

Gently reaching around Maya, Claire pulled the two vials from Maya's inside coat pocket. "You were able to finish it?" she asked, eyeing the potion warily.

"We'll see if I was successful." Maya pulled the stoppers out with her teeth, spitting them on the floor, and tipped the contents of both vials down his throat. "Let's just hope that two will be enough."

Severus' chest gave a terrifying shudder, and then he took a gurgled breath.

"His breathing is ragged and shallow. We have to get him out of here before more Death Eaters return," Claire gasped.

Maya released a sigh and pulled his body to her chest. "There's no way he can travel by apparition or port key in this condition. He'd bleed to death for certain. We'll have to levitate him and walk him back."

"Let's get a move on then. This cease fire won't last forever."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: Cry Without Weeping***

* Running to Stand Still, (1987). U2: The Joshua Tree, Bono.

The journey from the shrieking shack across the grounds to the castle with Severus's unconscious body was grueling work over boulders, craters, and casualties. Even with the use of magic it was difficult for the women to cross the ravaged school grounds. After just a few minutes, the sounds of fighting came from the direction of the castle. The cease fire was over but this time the fighting seemed to be enclosed behind the castle's gates. Maya blocked out the sounds of spells, screams, and explosions and focused only on her feet moving slowly towards her destination.

"Maya, stop! I see someone!" Claire called out.

Maya's head shot up. Two figures moved toward them in the gloom. "I have my wand drawn. I will not give you another warning," she yelled.

"Maya? Is that you?" The strained voice that came across the wasteland belonged to Remus Lupin. Next to him there was a shocking flash of pink hair. Maya sighed with relief.

"Remus, Tonks! It's us! I found him, but he's badly hurt!" Maya called out as Remus and Tonks drew closer.

"Maya it's finished. Harry did it!" Tonks shouted as she ran to help. "We're securing the perimeter and looking for wounded. Most of the Death Eaters have fled."

"Over? I can't believe," Maya staggered.

"Snape! Incarcerous," Kingsley Shacklebolt shouted as he and Minerva McGonagall raced to the small group.

"Protego!" Maya shouted, blocking his spell.

"Minerva, Kingsley, wait!" Lupin shouted. "He's severely injured. She's covered in blood. This is not the time."

"I'm surprised at you, Remus. You know what he's done!" McGonagall argued, but Kingsley's eyes inspected Maya then moved to Severus's body, motionless on the stretcher.

"Minerva, please! Just let me get him up to Poppy. We don't have much time!" Maya urged.

"Fine," Minerva said curtly. "But he is to remain under guard at all times!"

"Alright Minerva, whatever you like, just let me get him inside before it's too late!" Maya pleaded. The older witch stepped aside and Remus took Claire's place at the foot of Severus' stretcher.

"Avada Kedavra!" a voice rang out.

There was a flash of green light. Maya couldn't defend herself. She was too focused on protecting Severus.

"Maya, get down!"

Maya saw the cloaked figure from the corner of her eye, face eerily illuminated in the green glow of the killing curse. Maya's gaze moved in slow motion to the ground between her and the unknown wizard.

"Expelliarmus!" voices shouted. The angry voices came to her, muted and muffled as if from deep water. Tonks and Kingsley were wrestling with someone. A figure lay crumpled on the ground – a figure with blond hair the color of honey.

"Claire. No!" she tried to scream but her voice lodged in her throat. Maya found herself suddenly on the ground turning over Claire's still body. Her cheeks were still pink and her eyes were closed. Surely she was sleeping? But Maya knew that nothing could be done. It was the killing curse. No potion or spell could bring Claire back.

Hot tears stung her cheeks, and when she looked up Tonks and Kingsley had the Death Eater bound between them. Tonks pulled his hood from his head. His face lit with the green glow of the killing curse. "David Putnam," she snapped.

"Stupid woman stepped in front of a killing curse. Ladon, you're a traitor. I knew you were alive, but no one believed me! Nathaniel was my best friend. You better hope they kill me, pretty. If they don't I swear I'll find you."

"Shut it! I'm sure we can handle the likes of you," Tonks spat giving the Death Eater a hard jab to the ribs to make her point clear. Putnum stopped talking as the magical bonds tightened around his chest.

Remus was at Maya's elbow. "Come, let's get Claire and Severus up to the castle." He conjured a stretcher and levitated Claire's body onto it. With a steadying hand he helped Maya to her feet. Tonks and Shacklebolt half pulled, half dragged Putnum off to be confined in a secure tower with the other Death Eaters that had been captured.

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"What's all this?" Came the stern voice of the school's hospital matron.

"It's Snape, Poppy!" Minerva said.

"Severus? And what happened to you, Ms. Ladon? You're bleeding all over the place," Poppy demanded.

"It's nothing, Poppy. It's not serious," Maya said, keeping her attention on Severus.

"Nonsense. I can't focus on healing one person when someone else is bleeding all over the hall. Go! Go now! Ms. Lewis!" Poppy ordered and a young girl in St. Mungo's robes came from the other side of the Great Hall.

"Ms. Lewis, this is Ms. Ladon - or Ravenhill - which ever name you're using these days."

"Snape, Mrs. Snape actually," Maya said assuredly, not caring who heard her.

Poppy hesitated for only a moment, "Right then, Ms. Lewis take Mrs. Snape over there and take care of those injuries. I have a feeling she'll insist on coming right back here so you might as well let her."

"Thank you, Poppy," Maya said gratefully, knowing that Severus was in good hands with the hospital matron.

"Mrs. Snape, right this way," said the young medi-witch.

Maya followed the young woman to the other side of the room where she performed a quick diagnostic scan with her wand. "It looks like just some minor lacerations and contusions. That laceration to your side needs looking after, but it'll be quick. I can do it right here." The young woman paused and repeated the spell again.

"What is it," Maya asked, worried by the concern in the young witche's face.

"Ah…Mrs. Snape. I… Eh…Congratulations. Given all the injuries today, I'm happy to give out some good news for a change."

"What? What good news?" Maya asked, confused.

"You're pregnant," the medi-witch said with a smile. "I'd say only a few weeks."

"What?" Maya was speechless. She couldn't think, her brain had completely shut down. ' _Baby? I can't possibly_?' Maya tried to force her brain into action but it was no use. All she could think about was Severus. She needed to be near him. "Are we done here? I need to be helping Poppy."

"Yes, Madam. I'm almost done."

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Maya looked down at her hands, which alternated between clasping Severus' cold hand and handing potions and bandages to Poppy. She could hear angry voices behind her. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Minerva were arguing with Remus and other Order members.

"No, Remus is right. He was always on our side." Maya could hear Harry Potter as she tried to focus on helping Madam Pomfrey. If she just focused on helping Poppy, then she didn't have to think about Claire or about how cold Severus's hands were.

"That may be, but until we know more details we should take him to Azkaban. He has much to answer for," Kingsley said.

"Right now he's too weak to go anywhere," said Tonks frankly. Maya smiled at her friend's support. When she chanced a quick glance over her shoulder she could see Remus and Tonks, flanked by Harry and Ginny on one side and Ron and Hermione on the other. Ginny and Ron both had red eyes and tear streaked faces. Maya's heart ached, realizing that some tragedy must have struck the Weasley family.

"Now Nymphadora," started McGonagall.

Though she felt a surge of gratitude for her friends, she squeezed her eyes shut blocking out the noise behind her.

Her stomach rolled and suddenly she was sweltering. She had to take slow deep breaths to keep from vomiting. Maya was confused at her stomach's betrayal. Maya noticed with another turn of her stomach that her hands were covered in blood clear to her elbows. Her shirt was soaked in dark pools of it and she was unable to tell where her blood ended and his began. She had seen blood before. This was not the first time she had blood on her hands after attempting to save her own or someone else's life. But this blood belonged to Severus. And then she remembered the unbelievable news the healer had given her. ' _A child?_ ' Maya almost couldn't believe it!

"Come on Severus. You have to come back, you have to try!" Order members and students stopped and stared. The makeshift guard led by Remus and Tonks kept everyone from getting too close. Maya clung to Severus's cold hand, willing it to warm beneath her touch. "You have to come back for her," she whispered, placing his large hand across her belly. The silent crowd erupted in gasps and murmurs. "Severus you have to fight for your daughter." She didn't know how she knew their child was a girl but she did. She was certain of it.

Maya leaned her forehead to his. Maybe she could reach him with legilimency. ' _Come on Severus_!' she thought. ' _Hear me!_ ' His eyes flickered open, clear and black meeting her sapphire blue ones.

"Severus!" she gasped. "Poppy! His eyes are open!" Maya squeezed his hand. Relief washed over her when his hand weakly grasped her's in return.

"Yes, I can see that, Ms. Ladon," Poppy said.

"Snape, Mrs. Snape," Maya corrected, never taking her eyes from his.

Severus opened his mouth but no sound came.

"No, don't try to talk." Maya's heart beat wildly against her chest. Severus's brow furrowed and he tried to form words that wouldn't come. "Hush, now," she soothed. "Just hang in there. Keep fighting. Just - I love you."

His eyes flickered closed. "Severus? Severus?"

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

A brilliant white light intruded on the fog of pain that had consumed Severus Snape's consciousness. The thought of opening his eyes to that blinding light only made the pain in his head intensify. ' _I thought one of the blessings of death was supposed to be numbness,'_ he thought cynically. ' _Just my luck, the blinding white light is the only part that seems to be true._ '

"Open your eyes, Severus." It was a girl's voice, but not the one he expected. This voice was young.

He struggled to open his eyes against the blinding light. Once he could see, he recognized the hillside where he had met Dumbledore to beg for his forgiveness and to save Lily's life. In all these years he had never returned to this spot, the place where his life changed forever. The sky was now a brilliant blue and a soft breeze was blowing through the tall green grass. It was then that he saw her, a young girl of ten or eleven, barely old enough to be a student, with raven black curls that hung down her back. Her skin was the color of porcelain but her eyes were a deep vibrant blue. She had to have been the one who spoke to him. He could see no one else.

His first reaction was confusion. He was sure this was all some sort of hallucination as the last of his life force dwindled and his soul prepared to leave his body. But why would his unconscious mind conjure this girl? He had always assumed it would be Lily that would come to him in his dying moments.

"Because you don't need her anymore," said the young girl. "And are you so sure I'm a creation of your imagination?" Behind the girl a door appeared, and Severus was reminded of the dream he had months before. The girl had told him that he had a choice. What did he want to be on the other side of the door?

"You've fulfilled your promise. You can choose to move on and to find peace."

"Or?"

"Or you can choose the future, with all the ups and downs and uncertainties that go with it. It's up to you."

Severus walked to the door, running his hands along the tips of the tall grass, warm from the sun. He put his hand to the knob and hesitated. He looked at the young girl standing next to him. She smiled up at him.

She took his other hand in hers. "Go on then."

With a deep breath for courage, Severus turned the knob and pushed the door open.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: The Only One***

* The Only One, (2013). Moon Landing, James Blunt, Wayne Hector, & Steve Mac.

Twenty-four hours after being brought to the castle, Severus remained unconscious. As soon as Poppy was confident his wounds would remain closed, she moved Severus to the Hospital Wing where she would have more supplies readily on hand if needed.

Maya sat by his bed all night. Tonks brought her tea and a few biscuits but she had no appetite. Throughout the next day Maya tried to reach him through legilimency to no avail.

"His body is focusing all of its energy and magic on healing. He'll likely not wake for quite some time," Poppy said after checking his wounds and vital signs.

"Thanks, Poppy," Maya said. She knew the older Mediwitch was right but she couldn't push the worry from her mind or smooth the crease of anxiety from her face.

By the next night exhaustion consumed her. Poppy transfigured the hard chair Maya had been sitting on into a recliner, and Maya was soon fast asleep by the side of his bed, hand grasping his motionless one.

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

Severus gingerly opened his eyes, slowly taking in his surroundings. The vast room was dark and silver moonlight shown through the tall windows. He recognized the castle's hospital wing but had no idea of how he had gotten there. His last memory was of laying on the floor of the Shrieking Shack.

As his senses slowly returned, he became aware of a hand in his. The pain in his neck and head was excruciating but he managed to turn his head. The hand in his was a woman's and a head of chocolate curls rested on the edge of the bed, the rest of her sitting in a large recliner. As his vision cleared he could see the side of her face. Dark circles shadowed her eyes and her brow was furrowed in a frown. Something shimmered in the moonlight. She was still wearing the emerald ring he had given her the last time he had seen her. He smiled as the memory of her using that hand to land a jaw-breaking blow to Bellatrix came back to him.

He frowned. There was something off about her hands. Blood. Severus felt his heart stop. Her hands and clothes were covered in dried blood. He tried to call out, tried to reach for her, terrified that she had been injured. From this angle he couldn't tell if she was breathing. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't make a sound. All that would come was a harsh rasp that sent pain tearing through his throat and neck. To his relief, Poppy was there in an instant, always vigilant. The healer must have read the panic in his eyes.

"Quiet and lay back down before you wake her and undo everything we've managed to heal! And no talking, stopping the bleeding was hard enough, it will take a few days to heal your vocal cords," she scolded him quietly. "Most of it is not her blood," she added, guessing at the true cause of his distress.

He looked up at her sharply.

"It's yours. Maya and that American friend of hers carried you back to the castle all the way from the Shrieking Shack! In her condition she needs the rest."

He questioned her again with his eyes. "She's expecting, Severus. She should never have been here yesterday but I'm guessing by the shocked look on her face, she had no idea."

Expecting? A child. So that memory was not a dream, it had actually happened. Severus knew now that he loved her, but could he be a father? Did Maya still want to spend her life with him? The thoughts swirled through his head in a storm.

"I never thought I would be giving you 'what to expect' advice but - "

Severus gave her an irritated look. He felt uncomfortable with the situation as it was and it's not as if he was completely unfamiliar with what to expect. He was a head of house after all and even Slytherins occasionally got careless.

"Don't look at me that way Severus Snape. I've known you since you were a boy and patched you up I don't know how many times! She'll be tired, and hungry, and probably nauseous, at least for the next few months. All that transfiguration yesterday will probably take a toll."

He gave her an alarmed look. He had always believed transfiguration was safe, but how many people could transfigure themselves into a fire breathing dragon?

"Oh it's perfectly safe, but she'll probably be exhausted for the next couple of days. It takes a great deal of energy to use that much magic," she said. She gave her wand a swish and another hospital bed appeared with Maya's sleeping form stretched out on it. Severus gave the healer a nod of thanks and she smiled at him in return, placing the quilt that Tonks had brought up from the dungeons over the sleeping woman. "Congratulations Severus. I never thought I'd be saying those words, but I mean them. Congratulations." She gave him a brief smile and was gone.

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Severus Snape stood, back rigid, hands clasped behind him as he gazed through the large window at the grounds beyond, still scarred in places from the battle. The sunset was breathtaking, setting the lake ablaze in dazzling reds and golds. The memory of the enormous dragons blazing the field came flooding back and his chest swelled with pride. With Poppy's hovering, debriefings from the newly reformed Ministry, and tense meetings from his hospital bed with Minerva about plans for the immediate repairs to the school, he had little opportunity to be alone with Maya. Let alone finding the time to discuss the child she had revealed while he lay unconscious on his deathbed. It had somehow given him the resolve to hold on to life when it would have been so easy to walk through the door into peaceful non-existence.

She had stayed by his side until Poppy was certain he would live and then the Ministry could not be put off any longer. Maya spent much of her time with castle repairs and giving statements to the Ministry about the details of the battle. Severus knew that she cared for him, but would her feelings be the same now as they had been in April? She still wore the ring he had given her on their last night together. Seeing it gleam on her finger had given him the determination to play his role that night, especially after seeing the way she handled Bellatrix. But would she view things differently now that the war was over and she was free to make any choice she wanted?

He had been told she was responsible for his rescue. By all accounts he should have died on the floor of the shrieking shack, but Maya had come to find him. And Lupin and Potter had stood guard while Maya and Poppy worked to bring him back from the brink of death. His feelings on owing his long time adversaries such a debt were conflicted at best. He was finding that his anger toward the boy was fading. Severus doubted he would ever be fond of him, Potter was too much like his father, but he had made his peace with Lily and that seemed to make all the difference.

His thoughts on Lupin were murkier. He had a hard time putting aside the history of their school years, but at the same time, the werewolf had been willing to support Maya. Severus eyed the two hulking Aurors stationed by the hospital wing doors. He was amazed he hadn't been arrested, actually. Considering his crimes, he felt fortunate not to be in Azkaban already.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Severus turned to see Lupin. The wolf had managed to sneak up on him while he was lost in his thoughts. ' _Losing my touch already and it hasn't even been a week!_ ' he thought derisively. "Indeed, but then again I never expected to see another so it rather changes one's perspective."

Lupin gave an appreciative nod of his head. "There were some undeniably close calls. I don't envy you, Severus. At least I was able to have Tonks by my side, to know she was safe."

Severus turned from the window and looked at Lupin for a long moment. Would they continue as they had in animosity and hatred? "I owe you my thanks," he finally said. Apologies would never be something that would be easy for him. "You kept your word, made sure she stayed safe. And I understand that you and Mrs. Lupin made it possible for Maya to get me back to Poppy. The circumstances being what they are I am in your debt."

"Maya would have hexed Merlin himself if he tried to stop her, but you're welcome just the same. I was glad to do it."

"She is passionate about everything she does," Severus said, pride in his voice. "She has her life back now, though. She no longer has to hide her identity." It was the closest Severus had come to speaking his fears out loud.

"She was yours from the beginning you know. I have a feeling her mind has been made up on the matter for quite some time." Severus turned back to the window, letting Lupin's words sink in.

"Well, I better be getting back. Andromeda will be arriving with Teddy today. Dora will be pacing the halls until he gets here." Remus thought for a moment, and then held out his hand to the other man. Severus looked at it for a long moment then slowly reached out and took it firmly.

"Right, I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon. Congratulations by the way! If the baby festivities become too daunting send me an owl. My only advice is never, under any circumstances, get in the way of a nesting witch. We'll go for a pint and leave Maya and Dora to it."

"Nesting?"

"You'll know what I mean soon enough. I'm serious about that pint. If it wasn't for Arthur and Ted I wouldn't have made it. Anyhow, I'll better be off." Lupin clapped Severus on the shoulder and turned, more relaxed and at peace then Severus had ever seen him.

Remus walked quietly down the aisle and out of the hospital wing. Severus remained at his place by the window, his conversation with Lupin adding to the dizzying amount of thoughts racing through his mind. What the devil was nesting anyhow? And how would he know what it was when he saw it?

The quiet was interrupted by the sound of the large hospital wing doors creaking open. A messy head of black hair poked through. The moment of deja vu was disconcerting. Had he lived this moment twenty years ago or seven? He knew the time had to come eventually; Potter was far too curious and obstinate not to question him about what they had both believed to be a deathbed confession. Severus was not eager for the conversation that was sure to come. Much of his hatred had vanished with his awakening, but some wounds run deep and habits are hard to break. Still the war was over and he supposed the boy deserved some explanations.

The former Headmaster turned to face the new visitor.

"Professor…Headmaster…Sir. I was looking for Maya, I mean Ms. Ladon…Ah…Mrs. Snape," Potter stuttered. "I assumed she'd be here with you, sir."

"Sorry to disappoint Mr. Potter, but clearly her duties have taken her elsewhere," Severus said impassively but he was taken aback at Potter's show of respect, calling her Mrs. Snape. "I imagine you have questions." Snape returned his tired gaze to the now darkening sky.

Harry looked up with a snap. "No sir."

Severus' eyebrow arched in the smallest hint of disbelief.

"You were her friend, her best friend. Friends fight, but in the end, you did what you did for her. That's enough for me," Harry said softly. "However, if you ever feel like sharing a little about my mum, you know, what she was like growing up. I'd like to know what she was like sometime. My aunt and uncle never talked about her."

Severus gave a non-committal grunt. An awkward silence stretched out between them.

"It was Horcrux's. I thought you should know," Harry said, voice low, giving a glance at the two Aurors at the door. "Voldemort, when he murdered someone, it ripped his soul in two and he stored that piece in an object. He made seven, that's what Dumbledore had me hunting down this year. But the night Voldemort killed my mum, he unintentionally created another one – me. That's why Dumbledore made you tell me that I had to die, so that I would know how to finish Voldemort off for good. I just figured, Dumbledore being so secretive– I figured he didn't tell you and well, I just thought you deserved to know. After all, you risked your life to tell me."

Severus stared at the boy in disbelief and horror. The pieces slowly falling into place like a jigsaw puzzle. Why, no matter what wand the Dark Lord used, he could not seem to harm the boy. All of Dumbledore's traveling last year. Why it was so important to Dumbledore that Severus cast the killing curse under Dumbledore's orders and not simply let Draco do it. Severus was shocked. His stomach soured in disgust at how the boy had been used and the weight of the burden he had been forced to carry.

"Assuming I'm not in Azkaban, come and see me after things settle, and we'll have that conversation," Snape said briskly.

Maya looked on from the doorway at the two men, neither looked comfortable in the other's presence. Now that Severus was awake and out of danger Maya was unsure of where they stood. They had shared a promise a month ago, created a life, but would he still want that life with her now that he had a future? He had never discussed fatherhood with anything less then contempt and she feared the news would be unwelcome, a wedge driving them apart. Maya assuaged her worries by fighting with the Ministry to clear Severus's name and helping Minerva with repairs to the castle but she couldn't hide forever. They would have to sort things out eventually.

"Harry, there you are. I'm ready to go if you are," Maya said as she walked down the aisle. Severus turned from the now dark window. Maya gave him a small smile

"I'm just going to check on Ginny. They've been making the funeral arrangements for Fred and Arthur all morning," Harry said tightly. "I'll meet you in the great hall."

"I'll be right there," Maya said. Once the door was shut, she reached up on her toes and placed a warm kiss on Severus' jaw, her arms immediately going around his waist. The knowledge that he would make a full recovery still seemed like an impossible dream that she could awaken from at any moment. She had a constant irrational need to touch him. The contact grounded her and she let out a sigh of contentment. "How are you today?"

"Right as rain." Her sapphire eyes glittered up at him and he had to force himself to breathe. He had missed the sight of her wild chocolate curls and sapphire eyes. But she looked tired. Her eyes were puffy and smudged with dark circles. He silently cursed the Ministry and everyone else for putting such demands on her.

"I wish I could stay awhile. Why do we always have such terrible timing?" Maya said, closing her eyes and resting her head against his chest.

Severus gave her a cynical laugh. "I wish I knew. But go, I assume they're waiting."

She tensed in his embrace but didn't move away. "When will you be released?"

"From here?" he looked around the hospital wing. "Poppy said perhaps tomorrow."

She placed another kiss on his cheek then briefly touched her lips to his. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He placed a light kiss on the top of her head and she relaxed against him.

"Go, I'll be here when you're finished." He held her tighter for a moment and then let go, regretting it almost at once. He watched her leave the hospital wing. It was time to stop fooling himself. He knew exactly what he wanted. He needed to speak with Minerva as soon as possible.

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Severus woke the next morning, noticing at once that the two Aurors stationed at the doors to the hospital wing were nowhere to be seen. He took the potion Poppy had sat out for him and washed it down with pumpkin juice. He grimaced. The potion was foul-tasting and lingered in the back of his throat. Thankfully this this was his final dose of the concoction that Maya had worked on for over a year because she feared that his role as a spy would be discovered. Maya. The war was over. He was alive. He had a child. He needed to find Poppy!

The hospital matron was one step ahead of him as usual, coming out of her office at the end of the long row of cots before he was finished with his last coat button. With one last check up she declared, "It appears everything is as it should be. You're free to go."

Severus glanced at the doors. "No Aurors today? Am I to understand I am not under arrest?"

"No. They left first thing this morning. Maya, Potter, and an irate Esmeralda Ladon spent most of the day yesterday with Kingsley Shacklebolt."

He sighed. Yet another debt he could never repay. "Have you seen Maya this morning?"

"No, not yet. I told her to come by today so we could do a more thorough check-up. She's likely resting if they haven't tied her up with some task already."

"What about Minerva? I need to see her as soon as possible."

"She was still supervising the repairs to the west side of the castle, but that was early this morning. You may find her in your office."

"That was never my office," he said bitterly.

Poppy gave him a rare smile and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Severus Snape, you've done your duty. Now it's time you choose your own path for a change. I think you've already made your decision, go on then."

Severus knocked briskly on the ornate wooden door that for the last year had been his office as Headmaster.

"Enter," was the crisp reply from the other side of the door. Severus took a deep breath, pulling himself up to his full height, and turned the knob.

McGonagall looked up as he entered. She frowned. "Come to reclaim your post then?"

"No Minerva, I have no intention of returning as Headmaster. I would, however, like to talk to you about next term."

"Severus," McGonagall shook her head wearily. "I am glad to see you're healing, but it's been such a long year."

"You have to know I did what I could."

McGonagall raised a hand to stop him, leaving him feeling a bit like a student scolded for mischief. "I know Severus, I've talked to Maya and Potter. I'm sure at some point we should discuss the matter further but now is not the time. You say you have no plans to return as headmaster? What are your plans then?"

"I was rather hoping I could have my old post back," he said.

"The Defense position?"

"No. Potions, and Head of Slytherin. I thought the former Defense Professor would like his job back. With you taking the post as Headmistress, you'll need another Gryffindor."

McGonagall looked at him a long moment. "Potions, aye? Close the door behind you and sit down."

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

Severus entered his quarters. The sound of running water could be heard from the parlor. The door to the bath was open, and the unique clues to her presence immediately caught his attention. He had missed them over the last year. The robe thrown over the chair by the bed, a lingering scent of lavender that revealed she had been sleeping in his bed since the night of the battle. Her boots were by his wardrobe and a cup of tea sat on his bedside table with plate of biscuits. The quilt that his mother had made had been returned to the bed.

He crossed the room and pushed the door open slightly. Her silhouette was visible behind the curtain, looking just as he had remembered. There was no outward hint to the new life she was keeping safe within, not yet.

She swayed and reached out a steadying hand to the wall. Poppy had said she would likely have moments of dizziness and nausea. Without thinking, he toed off his boots and tossed his frock coat on a nearby chair. He stepped into the shower, still in his shirt and trousers and wrapped his long arms around her, spreading a large hand across her belly. He stood still, taking in the scent of her hair and leaving a kiss there.

Maya leaned into his embrace, his warmth an anchor. He placed a kiss on her soft shoulder and she turned in his arms, eyes questioning. He saw her fear and hope in her eyes.

"Are you sure?" Severus asked, barely audible over the pounding water. "This is what you want?"

She looked at him for a long while, water dripping from her face and lashes, steam curling around them. She brought a hand up to touch his cheek. There was never really a question in her mind. This was what she had wanted since the night he had showed up in that alley to crash her date. With her other hand she traced his dark brow and finally down the length of his nose. She gently pulled his face down caressing his lips with hers.

He returned her kiss, letting it wash away some of the darkness, some of it new and fresh from the last horrible year of this war, and some of it old and tarnished from years of bitterness and anger. He finally thought he understood what Dumbledore had meant; he really did have everything he needed to heal his damaged soul. When they were both breathless, Severus reached for the tap, shutting off the water. He grabbed a thick towel and wrapped her tightly, helping her out of the shower. Maya helped him out of his wet shirt and he found a robe on the hook by the door. Later he would ask her about the new wound on her side and they would talk about the friends they had lost, but not now. Severus sat on the leather sofa and pulled Maya down into his lap. Everything else could wait.


	26. Chapter 26

p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Epilogue 1: As Time Goes By*/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"* As Time Goes By, (1931). Performed by Billie Holiday, written by /spanspan style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Herman Hupfeld./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong id="docs-internal-guid-caee63e1-7fff-640f-1ab8-557e30080a44" style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Severus, are you ready?" Maya called as she came through the sitting room they had shared since the end of the war. She could see the door to the bath open and the long form of her husband standing at the sink in his vest. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Their five-year-old daughter was dressed in her favorite velvet party dress, green ribbons holding back her raven curls. She stood mesmerized, between Severus and the sink basin, head tilted upward watching her father shave, awed each time he brought the blade across his skin and rinsed it in the shallow pool of water in the basin. Since the final battle and his last brush with death, there were some tasks that Severus Snape chose to perform the muggle way. Shaving was one of them. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"As Maya watched silently, Severus finished shaving, and rinsed his face. As he did, the little girl with his dark hair and Maya's sapphire eyes took the towel from the rod and insisted on being allowed to dry his face and remove the last of the cream he missed. He effortlessly lifted her and stood her on the counter next to him so she could easily reach his face. Maya watched on, finding she could not contain her smile or the stinging behind her eyes at the tenderness of the moment. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Not many people had the opportunity to see Severus Snape this way, the quiet but loving man he was with his family. After drying his face, he lifted the little girl down again and let her help rinse the stubble from the basin. She caught sight of her mother watching in the mirror./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Mummy, I helped," she squealed and ran to Maya's arms. Severus reached for his shirt, buttoning it as he followed his daughter into the bedchamber. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So you did, and a terrific job you did too," Maya said, giving her little girl an extra squeeze. "Now go and put your shoes on and help Lysander with his. We're leaving in a moment." /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"As the little girl ran from the room to find her shoes, Maya picked up her husband's jacket and the silver cufflinks she had bought him. He was halfway through his shirt buttons when he paused to tuck a stray curl back from her face. Maya's skin tingled at the feel of his thumb caressing her cheek. He cradled her face in his hands and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead, nose and finally her lips. When he released her, she threaded one cufflink through his right cuff and then his left. She pushed the sleeve up slightly just enough to see the faded mark, and gently placed a kiss there. She looked up into his dark eyes. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You are a wonderful man, Severus Snape, never forget that. You are my world." She handed him his jacket, smoothing it across his broad shoulders./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""So much change in five years," he said, pulling her to him./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Indeed. He would have been so proud of you." Maya returned the embrace./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Why do you insist on wearing that dress after all this time? People will think I don't let you visit Madam Malkin's." He waved a hand at the blue gown that highlighted her eyes./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I'll have you know that I love this dress, and Albus loved it too. He told me once that he was impressed you had such good taste in ladies gowns," she chuckled./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Very funny, dragon," he scowled. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Besides, Professor, it's the last time I'm going to get to wear it for a while." She stepped away and made for the door to the sitting room to round up her daughter and son. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He straightened his jacket as he followed her. "What are you on about? If that permanence charm hasn't worn off by now -" /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""For a Slytherin you're not so quick tonight." She laughed at him over her shoulder. "I said for a while, about six to seven months actually." She looked pointedly at him, enjoying the look of confusion on his face that suddenly turned to understanding./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What again?" Their four year old son darted past him, waving a toy hippogriff that the gamekeeper had given him for Christmas as he chased his older sister. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" "Happy Birthday Sev." Maya smirked at him and patted his cheek as she waited for a sign that meant he remembered the mini-break they had taken for his birthday before the term resumed. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He smiled a devilish grin. "Yes, it was a rather happy birthday at that." He plucked up their hippogriff waving son, who resembled his father in miniature, though without the sallow look of neglect that Severus had possessed at that age./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Genna, please, no running. You're only encouraging Lysander," Maya called out./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""But mummy-" Genna complained./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No buts. Come on you lot, the feast will be starting any minute." Maya took Genna's hand while Lysander squirmed in Severus's arms. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yay! Can I sit by the Headmistress Mummy, can I? Or Hagrid?" Genna cried. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yes, daddy, can we sit next to Hagrid?" echoed Lysander as the family started down the hall and out of the dungeons./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="font-weight: normal;" /strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Not for the feast tonight. There is already a table set up for the two of you and Theodore," Severus said as he secured the small boy./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""If we don't get a move on, we'll be late, and it wouldn't do for the Deputy Headmaster to be late for the Albus Dumbledore Day Feast now would it?" Maya said. However, the sting of her reprimand was diminished by the smile pulling at the corners of her lips. They had suffered much, fought bravely, and come out of the wreckage whole, and out of that war came a love that made all of this possible./span/p 


	27. Chapter 27

**Epilogue 2: Life With You***

* Life With You, (2007). The Proclaimers, Craig and Charlie Reid.

"Over here you lot." Hagrid called the chattering group of new fifth year Care of Magical Creatures students to attention. "For the first class I thought I'd give yer a special treat." And with that a silvery blue dragon with sapphire eyes flew over the treetops to circle Hagrid's hut and land silently in the paddock. Over the years, Hagrid had gained a reputation as a teacher who liked the start off each term with some shocking creature that was either amazing or simply terrifying.

Many of the students screamed in fright. "Settle down, Settle down, now. There's nothin' to be 'fraid of with this particular dragon. But just you mind, you don't ever approach a dragon on yer own. They're highly unpredictable unless yer a trained dragon tamer," Hagrid said to the awed class.

"Next class we'll actually have a dragon tamer from the colonies in Romania come and discuss some of the finer points on raisin' and trainin' dragons, but today we'll just be going over the anatomy and uses for dragons."

The dragon stretched out its long blue wings and neck. As the students watched, Hagrid lectured on the many magical properties of dragons. "Not everyone knows but dragons were essential in the second war."

"But Hagrid, dragons aren't really trainable, are they?" said a pretty Ravenclaw girl in the front row. "My mom says you can never really trust a dragon even when it's been trained."

"Well now, that depends on the dragon dun' it, but our guest next week will give you more on that."

"Hagrid, that's not a real dragon is it?" said Gryffindor boy with a mop of turquoise hair. He was standing next to a Slytherin girl with raven curls and a smirk on her face.

"Ah, Teddy, go on then," Hagrid said, smiling through his great bushy beard at the fifth year boy.

The boy smiled back. "That's Mrs. Snape, that is," As the class made sounds of astonishment they looked quickly from the dark-haired Slytherin girl to the dragon and back again. The group's' attention was suddenly captured again as the dragon soared over the group, giving them a full look at it's underbelly and wingspan.

"Yes, Teddy, yer right. Mrs. Snape is an Animagus and agreed to help us with today's lesson since most students never get to see dragons unless they live near a colony." As Maya stretched her wings for the students, Hagrid continued his lesson.

"Mrs. Snape was able to get the dragons to help her during the final battle. She helped the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter, and professor Snape defeat Voldemort," said Teddy as the dragon landed and breathed a jet of fire into the air before transforming back into a woman.

The group of fifth years flocked to her, asking questions about dragons and animagi transformation.

As the lesson ended and most of the students cleared off, the Teddy and the Slytherin girl remained.

"Genna, Teddy, Did you enjoy your lesson?" Maya asked.

"It was brilliant Mum," said Genna. Maya watched with interest as her daughter and Teddy held hands as they walked towards her.

"Yes, that was amazing, Mrs. Snape," said Teddy.

"Blimy, that was brilliant," said a Ravenclaw boy who was holding hands with a ginger-haired girl from Gryffindor.

"Thank you, Bromley, Victoire, how are you?" Maya smiled.

"Great thanks," the pretty red-headed girl said with a subtle hint of a French accent.

"Mum, I was wondering if it would be alright to miss going to Gran's tomorrow? You know Hogsmeade weekend is tomorrow and the four of us thought that we'd spend the day in town?" asked Genna.

"I'll talk to your father. With the way Minet has been lately, she'll be more than a handful. Besides, Lysander has asked to go too. He seemed rather eager to be in the village tomorrow."

"Hmm, I bet he is," said Genna with another smirk but then seemed to think better of her comment as her mother arched an eyebrow. "Thanks, Mum."

"Speaking of your father, I promised to see him before dinner. Off you lot get, you have one more lesson before dinner yourselves," Maya said, shooing the teens back up to the castle and making her way to the dungeons.

δδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδδ

"Sev, are you in here?" Maya called, entering the sitting room.

"In here," a voice answered from the small private laboratory.

"Working in-between classes again?" Maya stepped into the small, humid room, careful not to get too close until he gave her a sign that it was okay, so as not to distract him.

"It's very close to being finished," he said, not taking his eyes off the cauldron as he stirred.

"Is that what I think it is?" Her eyes gleamed with excitement and pride when she recognized the pungent yet distinctive fumes coming from the cauldron.

"If by _that_ you mean the new experimental version of the Wolfsbane Potion then you are correct," he said, not looking up.

"But I thought you said it was impossible."

"That was before two of our children started spending more time on the seventh floor then they do at home," he said acidicly, not taking his eyes off the potion.

"Now that you mention it, I assume Minet is upstairs with Sirius and Vega?" Maya asked, noticing how quiet their chambers were for the first time.

"Yes, the last time I checked on her, Mrs. Lupin was showing her the many obscene forms her nose can take."

"Wait," Maya said as his earlier words finally registered. "Do you mean to tell me that you've been working on this potion for Merlin knows how long and not said anything to anyone?"

"Of course not, silly woman. I had to tell Lupin. How else could I have tested it on him? I suppose I could have poisoned him but, although it would have been enjoyable, it would not have been very fitting for the Deputy Headmaster, now would it?"

"Men," she muttered under her breath. "So if this works -"

"Of course it will work."

"So _when_ this works then," she corrected in annoyance. "It will actually be permanent? Remus won't have to take monthly doses anymore?"

"He may need a booster every couple of years if he starts craving rare meat or experiencing any _wolfish_ characteristics, but I will leave it to Mrs. Lupin to notice those," he said, a look revulsion on his pale face.

"Do try to call her Dora, Severus. She's not your student anymore and the war's over. She and Remus are our closest friends, after all," Maya chided. He glared at her with glinting dark eyes through the mist rising off the cauldron.

"Oh, stop looking at me like that! By the way Genna and Lysander both have asked permission to skive off my Grandmother's tomorrow in favor of Hogsmeade weekend."

"What? They've grown up less then a mile from the village. They have had endless opportunities to go to Hogsmeade. They spend half the summer there, for Merlin's sake."

"Sev, put a stirring charm on that cauldron because this may come as a shock," Maya requested with a smile.

He scowled at his wife, knowing that if she was asking him to turn away from a potion he was surely not going to approve of whatever it was she was going to say. He cast the charm and turned to face her, leaning against the counter, arms crossed over his chest.

"Well?"

"I think they both have dates."

"What do you mean _dates_?" he said.

"You know - dates. Girl meets boy, boy asks girl out, holding hands, snogging in broom cupboards and all that stuff."

"What?"

"Well, to be exact, Lysander said he was meeting Lily Potter at The Three Broomsticks with a bunch of other fourth years from the Slytherin and Gryffindor Quidditch teams."

Severus took a calming breath. Of course it would be Potter's offspring. "And Genna?" he asked, eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his long nose with slender fingers the way he always did when expecting bad news. Maya knew that this would be the sticky part. Although Maya had seen the brief hint of a smirk at the news that his son would be meeting a pretty girl at the village, Genna was a different story. The two had a bond like no other from the moment she was born.

"It seems that she, Teddy Lupin, Victoire Weasley, and Bromley Wood have agreed to spend the entire day in the village, with our permission, of course," Maya said gently, waiting for the explosion.

"I imagine this was your long way of telling me that Lupin is taking our eldest daughter to Hogsmeade, while we will be in Sussex visiting your grandmother?"

"Yes, 'fraid so, love. They were holding hands while I was helping out with Hagrid's Care Of Magical Creatures class today. He seems quite smitten with her, actually," Maya said, grinning again.

"No, absolutely not," Severus said emphatically, but Maya knew he was all talk. He couldn't say no to his girls.

Severus Snape loved his son and was proud beyond words of his success both academically and athletically. He was always fair with Lysander and had a relationship with the boy that he did not have with his own father. Lysander was like him in many ways, but the boy was very different from his father in ways that Severus was glad to see as well. Lysander Snape was often surprised by the admiration he received from his female classmates but not because he didn't think himself good enough. He had the quiet life at Hogwarts that Severus always wanted. He was quiet and bookish but had friends, was athletic without being pompous or arrogant, and evidently had girls who were willing to go to Hogsmeade with him.

The Snape girls were a different story all together. Genna was the miracle that got them through the final moments of the last battle, the thought that gave Severus the strength to fight to stay alive when death was so near and could have been so welcomed. Genna was such a symbol of hope that Severus often found he could not say no, whether it was asking to stay out late to fly with the quidditch team or letting her off when her fiery temper lead her to curse someone in the halls. They always seemed to understand each other.

Minet was different still from her older siblings. The spitting image of her mother with her chocolate curls and blue eyes, she was bright and energetic, easy to temper and twice as easy to forgive. As the youngest, she could often be found trying to sneak away with someone's wand or in Severus's study testing out potion ingredients.

"See reason, Sev. Genna's grown up with Teddy. You had to expect something like this would happen at some point," she chuckled.

"Yes, but I do not have to like it or approve of it." He scowled.

"That may be, but I don't want to hear you say anything like that around her!" Maya said sternly.

"I will be having a conversation with Lupin tonight and he will be stepping up testing of the new potion," Severus grumbled.

"Besides, I was thinking with Genna and Lysander in the village, if we left my Grandmother's by tea time and asked Remus and Dora to mind Minet, then you and I could maybe go to London - alone." She moved closer, snaking her arms around his waist.

In one deft move he brought his hands to her waist and lifted her to sit on the counter in front of him, kissing her soundly until they were both breathless. Even after all this time, he still found her as beautiful as the day she entered Dumbledore's office. The fifteen years since the war had added some grey to the front of her mass of chocolate curls that matched his own graying temples and their three children had widened her hips slightly but in a way that he continued to find alluring. The Cruciatus curse and the poisonous snake venom left him with aches some days but there were more good days then bad, something he never thought could be a possibility.

"Professor, if I didn't know better I'd say you're trying to seduce me," she muttered softly in his ear.

"Hmm… London may have its possibilities," he rumbled. "You talk to the Auror and I'll make the reservations." He teased her neck and jawline with soft kisses.

"I like the way you think, but we still have to get through dinner tonight yet."

"Minerva does not consider dinner mandatory," he said beguilingly against the skin of her throat as his fingers teased her shirt from the waistband of her muggle jeans. His long practiced fingers stirred a warmth in her belly that radiated to her fingers and toes.

"I think you're right, food is highly overrated." She purred, unbuttoning his collar to give her better access to his jawline and neck.

There was sudden whoosh of flames as the fire place in the next room sprang to life. "Mummy…Daddy are you here?" called a loud vibrant voice from the sitting room.

Severus stepped back with a heavy sigh. He and Maya took a deep breath to steady themselves.

"Deep breath Professor," Maya said regretfully. "Lacewing flies, hellebore, bats wings, puffer-fish eyes, shrivel figs, boomslang skin, Minerva in her night dress -"

"Enough, dragon," he hissed.

"In here love," Maya called.

"Daddy, did you know Mummy showed her dragon to Hagrid's class? Why couldn't I come and learn about dragons?"

"Don't be silly, little one. You, Genna, and Lysander knew more about dragons by the time you could walk then most of this lot will by the time they leave Hogwarts. And Minet, you know you cannot attend classes until you're old enough to be a student," Severus said.

Minet bounded into the room and into her father's arms. He spun her around once and placed her back on her tiny feet.

"Oh well, maybe Genna will show me her dragon after dinner. Mummy, when can _I_ be a dragon?" Minet asked with a pout, and Severus looked to his wife as if to say ' _this is your department, you created this monster._ '

"When you're old enough and don't go bothering Genna tonight, she's revising for her OWLS after dinner," Maya said but she was sure Minet was not paying her the slightest bit of attention.

"Yuck, Daddy that smells awful," she said, wrinkling her button nose and craning to see what was in the cauldron. "Mummy, why are you sitting on the counter?"

"No reason," Maya said innocently and grinned at Severus when the young girl looked away.

Severus frowned at her over their youngest daughter's head. Genna and Lysander were both intelligent without question and Severus had never doubted their place in Slytherin House. He was, however, starting to wonder if Minet would not take after her mother's family and end up in Ravenclaw. Though Maya had not attended Hogwarts and had gone to school in America, many of her family had been Ravenclaws (and Gryffindors but he refused to admit that fact). She had already been caught trying to use her siblings' wands and was interrupted halfway through making a truth potion last year when she was convinced that Sirius Lupin had taken her favorite dolly and hidden it on the third floor. Some days he wondered if even he was smart enough to keep up with her.

"Come on, love," Maya said hopping from the counter and wrapping her daughter in her arms, maneuvering her towards the door. "We should head up to the great hall for dinner. You can find Lysander and ask him about the rest of his lessons."

"Okay, Mummy. Maybe the elves made Treacle," Minet said in a singsong voice.

As Maya passed her husband she smirked at him coyly. "Are you sure you want to go to London? That's how we got the three we have."

"Don't joke, woman! I am an old man and I can barely keep up with the three children we have already," he scolded her softly.

"Oh, I don't know," Maya said from the open doorway. "I'll be the judge of that." She turned and followed their youngest out of the room.

Severus Snape was once again left bemused and mystified at how his life had become so utterly unrecognizable. "No Albus, not a fairy tale, but something more real and wonderful then I could have ever imagined," he said quietly as he followed his family up to the great hall for dinner.

The End

Author's note:

Thank you all for reading and supporting this story with reads, votes and comments. Please feel free to comment or leave a review. All feedback is welcome. Thank you again for reading and being apart of this journey. :-)


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